owne shame he shamed at the filthinesse that was committed vppon hir though it were l without her consent and m being a Romain and coueteous of glory she feared that n if she liued stil that which shee had indured by violence should be thought to haue been suffered with willingnesse And therfore she thought good to shew this punishment to the eies of men as a testimony of hir mind vnto whome shee could not shew her minde indeed Blushing to be held a partaker in the fact which beeing by another committed so filthyly she had indured so vnwillingly Now this course the Christian women did not take they liue still howsoeuer violated neither for all this reuenge they the ruines of others vppon them-selues least they should make an addition of their owne guilt vnto the others if they should go and murder them-selues barbarously because their enemies had forst them so beastially For howsoeuer they haue the glory of their chastity stil within them o being the restimony of their conscience this they haue before the eies of their God and this is all they care for hauing no more to looke to but to do wel that they decline not from the authority of the law diuine in any finister indeauour to auoid the offence of mortall mans suspition L. VIVES a LVcretia This history of Lucretia is common though Dionisius relate it some-what differing from Liuie they agree in the summe of the matter b Reuenge so sayth Liuie in his person But giue me your right hands and faiths to inflict iust reuenge vppon the adulterer and they all in order gaue her their faiths c One declaming Who this was I haue not yet read One Glosse saith it was Virgil as hee found recorded by a great scholler and one that had read much But Uirgil neuer was declamer nor euer pleaded in cause but one and that but once perhaps that great reader imagined that one to bee this which indeed was neuer extant Which he might the better doe becasue he had read such store of histories and better yet if he were Licentiat or Doctor d He was chased Tarquin the King and all his ofspring were chased out of the Cittie of this in the third book e The offender Cicero saith that touching a Romains life there was a decree that no Iudgement should passe vpon it without the assent of the whole people in the great Comitia or Parliaments called Centuriata The forme and manner of which iudgement he sets down in his oration for his house and so doth Plutarch in the Gracchi f Lucretia her selfe which aggrauats the fact done by Lucretia a noble and worthy matron of the Citty g Placed amongst these Uirgil in the 6. of his Aeneads diuides Hell into nine circles and of the third hee speaketh thus Proxima deinde tenent maesti loca qui sibi lethum Insontes peperere manu lucemque perosi Proiecere animas quam vellent athere in alto Nunc pauperiem durâ—…s perferre labores Fata obstant tristique palus innabilis vnda Alligat nouies Styx interfusa coercet In english thus In the succeeding round of woe they dwell That guiltlesse spoild them-selues through blacke despight And cast their soules away through hate of light O now they wish they might returne t' abide Extremest need and sharpest toile beside But fate and deepes forbid their passage thence And Styx that nine times cuttes those groundlesse fennes h Which none could know For who can tell whether shee gaue consent by the touch of some incited pleasure i Hir learned defenders * It is better to read her learned defenders or her not vnlearned defenders then her vnlearned defenders as some copies haue it k Is there any way It is a Dilemma If shee were an adulteresse why is she commended if chaste why murdered The old Rethoricians vsed to dissolue this kinde of Argument either by ouerthrowing one of the parts or by retorting it called in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conuersion or retortion Examples there are diuers in Cicero de Rethorica Now Augustine saith that this conclusion is inextricable vnavoidable by either way l Without her consent For shee abhorred to consent vnto this act of lust m A Romaine The Romaine Nation were alwaies most greedy of glory of whom it is said Vincet amor patriae laudumque immensa cupido Their countries loue boundles this of glory And Ouid saith of Lucrece in his Fasti Succubuit famae victa puella metu Conquer'd with feare to loose her fame she fell n If she liued after this vncleanesse committed vpon hir o Being the testimony for our glory is this saith Saint Paul 2. Cor. I. 12. the testimony of our consciences And this the Stoikes and all the heathenish wise men haue euer taught That there is no authority which allowes Christians to be their owne deaths in what cause soeuer CHAP. 19. FOr it is not for nothing that wee neuer finde it commended in the holy canonicall Scriptures or but allowed that either for attaining of immortalitie or auoyding of calamitie wee should bee our owne destructions we are forbidden it in the law Thou shalt not kill especially because it addes not Thy neighbour as it doth in the pohibition of false witnesse Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour Yet let no man thinke that he is free of this later crime if he beare false witnesse against him-selfe because hee that loues his neighbour begins his loue from him-selfe Seeing it is written Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Now if hee bee no lesse guiltlesse of false witnesse that testifieth falsely against him-selfe then hee that doth so against his neighbour since that in that commandement wherein false witnesse is forbidden it is forbidden to be practised against ones neighbor whence misvnderstanding conceits may suppose that it is not forbiddeÌ„ to beare false witnesse against ones selfe how much plainer is it to bee vnderstood that a man may not kill him-selfe seeing that vnto the commandement Thou shalt not kil nothing being added excludes al exception both of others of him to whom the command is giuen And therefore some would extend the intent of this precept euen vnto beasts and cattell and would haue it vnlawfull to kill any of them But why not vnto hearbes also and all things that grow and are nourished by the earth for though these kindes cannot bee said to haue a sence or feeling yet they are said to be liuing and therfore they may die and consequently by violent vsage be killed VVherfore the Apostle speaking of these kinde of seedes saith thus Foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except first it die And the Psalmist saith He destrored their vines with baile but what Shall wee therefore thinke it sinne to cutte vp a twigge because the commandement sayes thou shalt not kill and so involue our selues in the foule error of the
their hurt and their soules in following their appetites when neede requireth so in flying of death they make it as apparant how much they set by their peace of soule and body But man hauing a reasonable soule subiecteth all his communities with beasts vnto the peace of that to worke so both in his contemplation and action that there may bee a true consonance betweene them both and this wee call the peace of the reasonable soule To this end hee is to avoide molestation by griefe disturbance by desire and dissolution by death and to ayme at profiâ—…e knowledge where vnto his actions may bee conformable But least 〈◊〉 owne infirmity through the much desire to know should draw him into any pestilent inconuenience of error hee must haue a diuine instruction to whose directions and assistance hee is to assent with firme and free obedience And because that during this life Hee is absent from the LORD hee walketh by faith and not by sight and therefore hee referreth all his peace of bodie of soule and of both vnto that peace which mortall man hath with immortall GOD to liue in an orderlie obedience vnder his eternall lawe by faith Now GOD our good Maister teaching vs in the two chiefest precepts the loue of him and the loue of our neighbour to loue three things GOD our neighbour and our selues and seeing he that loueth GOD offendeth not in louing himselfe it followeth that hee ought to counsell his neighbour to loue GOD and to prouide for him in the loue of GOD sure hee is commanded to loue him as his owne selfe So must hee doe for his wife children family and all men besides and wish likewise that his neighbour would doe as much for him in his need thus shall hee bee settled in peace and orderly concord with all the world The order whereof is first a to doe no man hurt and secondly to helpe all that hee can So that his owne haue the first place in his care and those his place and order in humane society affordeth him more conueniency to benefit Wherevpon Saint Paul saith Hee that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them that bee of his houshold denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidell For this is the foundation of domesticall peace which is an orderly rule and subiection in the partes of the familie wherein the prouisors are the Commaunders as the husband ouer his wife parents ouer their children and maisters ouer their seruants and they that are prouided for obey as the wiues doe their husbands children their parents and seruants their maisters But in the family of the faithfull man the heauenly pilgrim there the Commaunders are indeed the seruants of those they seeme to commaund ruling not in ambition but beeing bound by carefull duety not in proud soueraignty but in nourishing pitty L. VIVES FIrst a to doe no Man can more easily doe hurt or forbeare hurt then doe good All men may iniure others or abstaine from it But to doe good is all and some Wherefore holy writ bids vs first abstaine from iniury all we can and then to benefit our christian bretheren when wee can Natures freedome and bondage caused by sinne in which man is a slaue to his owne affects though he be not bondman to any one besides CHAP. 15. THus hath natures order prescribed and man by GOD was thus created Let them rule saith hee ouer the fishes of the sea and the fowles of the ayre end ouer euery thing that creepeth vpon the earth Hee made him reasonable and LORD onely ouer the vnreasonable not ouer man but ouer beastes Wherevpon the first holy men were rather shep-heards then Kings GOD shewing herein what both the order of the creation desired and what the merit of sinne exacted For iustly was the burden of seruitude layd vpon the backe of transgression And therefore in all the scriptures wee neuer reade the word Seruant vntill such time as that iust man Noah a layd it as a curse vpon his offending sonne So that it was guilt and not nature that gaue originall vnto that name b The latine word Seruus had the first deriuation from hence those that were taken in the warres beeing in the hands of the conquerours to massacre or to preserue if they saued them then were they called Serui of Seruo to saue Nor was this effected beyond the desert of sinne For in the iustest warre the sinne vpon one side causeth it and if the victory fall to the wicked as some times it may c it is GODS decree to humble the conquered either reforming their sinnes heerein or punishing them Witnesse that holy man of GOD Daniel who beeing in captiuity confessed vnto his Creator that his sinnes and the sinnes of the people were the reall causes of that captiuity Sinne therefore is the mother of seruitude and first cause of mans subiection to man which notwithstanding commeth not to passe but by the direction of the highest in whome is no iniustice and who alone knoweth best how to proportionate his punnishment vnto mans offences and hee himselfe saith Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and therefore many religious Christians are seruants vnto wicked maisters d yet not vnto free-men for that which a man is addicted vnto the same is hee slaue vnto And it is a happier seruitude to serue man then lust for lust to ommit all the other affects practiseth extreame tirany vpon the hearts of those that serue it bee it lust after soueraignty or fleshly lust But in the peacefull orders of states wherein one man is vnder an other as humility doth benefit the seruant so doth pride endamage the superior But take a man as GOD created him at first and so hee is neither slaue to man nor to sinne But penall seruitude had the institution from that law which commaundeth the conseruation and forbiddeth the disturbance of natures order for if that law had not first beene transgressed penall seruitude had neuer beene enioyned Therefore the Apostle warneth seruants to obey their Maisters and to serue them with cheerefulnesse and good will to the end that if they cannot bee made free by their Maisters they make their seruitude a free-dome to themselues by seruing them not in deceiptfull feare but in faithfull loue vntill iniquity be ouerpassed and all mans power and principality disanulled and GOD onely be all in all L. VIVES NOah a layd it Gen. 9. b The latine So saith Florentinus the Ciuilian Institut lib. 4. And they are called Mancipia quoth hee of manu capti to take with the hand or by force This you may reade in Iustinians Pandects lib. 1. The Lacaedemonians obserued it first Plin. lib. 7. c It is Gods decree Whose prouidence often produceth warres against the wills of either party d Yet not vnto free Their Maisters being slaues to their owne passions which are worse maisters then men can be Of the iust law of soueraignty CHAP. 16.
euill angels though they knew the worlds creator CHAP. 3. 〈◊〉 thus what Platonist or other Philosopher soeuer had held so and 〈◊〉 God and glorified him as God and beene thankfull and not become 〈◊〉 conceits nor haue been an author of the peoples error nor winked at â—…re they would haue confessed that both the blessed immortalls and 〈◊〉 mortalls are bound to the adoration of one onely GOD of gods 〈◊〉 God and ours That sacrifice is due onely to the true God CHAP. 4. 〈◊〉 owe that Greeke Latria or seruice both in our selues and sacrifices 〈◊〉 all his temple and each one his temples he vouchsafing to inhabit 〈◊〉 â—…mme and each in particuler being no more in all then in one for he 〈◊〉 â—…ltiplied nor diminished b our hearts eleuated to him are his altars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonne is the priest by whom we please him we offer him bloudy saâ—… wee shed our bloud for his truth and incence when wee burne in 〈◊〉 c the gifts he giueth vs we doe in vowes returne him his benefits 〈◊〉 vnto him in set solemnities least the body of time should bring 〈◊〉 vngratefull obliuion we offer him the sacrifices of humility praises 〈◊〉 of our heart in yâ— fire offeruent loue for by the sight of him as we may 〈◊〉 to be ioyned with him are we purged from our guilty filthy affects 〈◊〉 â—…ted in his name he is our blessed founder our desires accomplishâ—… we elect or rather re-elect for by our neglect we lost him him thereâ—… re-elect whence religion is deriued and to him we do hasten with the 〈◊〉 to attaine rest in him being to be blessed by attainment of that fiâ—…â—…tion for our good whose end the Philosophers iangled about is noâ—… to adhere vnto him and by his intellectuall and incorporeall embrace 〈◊〉 growes great with all vertue e and true perfection This good are we â—…loue with all our heart with all our soule and all our strength To this 〈◊〉 â—…ught to be lead by those that loue vs and to lead those wee loue So is 〈◊〉 â—…mandements fulfilled wherein consisteth all the lawe and the Proâ—… Thou shalt loue g thy h Lord thy i God k with all thine heart with 〈◊〉 and with all thy minde and l Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 〈◊〉 a man how to loue him-selfe was this end appointed where-vnto to referre all his workes for beautitude for he that loues himselfe desireth but to bee blessed And the end of this is coherence with god So then the command of louing his neighbour being giuen to him that knowes how to loue himselfe m what doth it but command and commend the loue of God vnto him This Gods true worshippe true piety true religion and due seruice to God onely wherefore what immortall power soeuer vertuous or otherwise that loueth vs as it selfe it desires wee should but bee his seruants for beatitude of whence it hath beautitude by seruing him If it worshippe not God it is wretched as wanting God if it do then will not it bee worshipped for God It rather holds and loues to hold as the holy scripture writeth Hee that sacrificeth to any gods but the one god shall bee rooted out for to be silent in other points of religion there is none dare say a sacrifice is due but vnto god alone But much is taken from diuine worship and thrust into humane honors either by excessiue humility or pestilent flattery yet still with a reserued notice that they are men held worthy indeed of reuerence and honor or at most n of adoration But who euer sacrificed but to him whom hee knew or thought or faigned to be a God And how ancient a part of Gods worship a sacrifice is Caine and Abel do shew full proofe God almighty reiecting the elder brothers sacrifice and accepting the yongers L. VIVES ALL a in summe The Chruch b Our hearts Therevpon are we commanded in diuine seruice to lift vp our hearts at the preparation to communion Herein being admonished to put off all worldly thought and meditate wholly vpon god lifting all the powers of our soule to speculate of his loue for so is the mind quit from guilts and lets and made a fit temple for God b His onely sonne Some read we and the priest please him with his onely sonne read which you like c The guifts What we giue to God is his owne not ours nor can we please him better then referre what hee hath giuen vs vnto him againe as the fount whence they slowed What shall I render ouer to the Lord saith the Psalmist for all his benefites towards â—…ee I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. This is the onely relation of grace if thou hast grace d Re-elect Tully deriues religion of relegendo reading againe and calles it the knowledge of GOD as Trismegistus doth Lactantiuis had rather deriue it of religando binding beecause the religious are bound to God in bonds of Piety Augustine of religendo re-electing I thinke because it was fittest for his present allusion e True perfection Plato saith that a happy man by speculation of the diuine pulchritude shal bring forth true vertues not any formes onely In conuiuio f Thou shalt loue O what a few lawes might serue mans life how small a thing might serue to rule not a true Christian but a true man indeed hee is no true man that knoweth not and worshippeth not Christ. What needeth all these Digests Codes glosses counselles and cauteles In how few words doth our great Maister shew euery man his due course Loue thee that which is aboue aswell as thou canst and that which is next thee like thy selfe which doing thou keepest all the laws and hast them persit which others attaine with such toyle scarcely keepe with so many iuitations and terrors Thou shalt then bee greater then Plato or Pythagoras with all their trauells and numbers then Aristotle with all his quirkes and sillogismes what can bee sweeter then loue thou â—…rt taught neither to feare fly nor shrinke g Thy. God to many yet the most properly to his seruants and yet euer common h Lord. And therefore to be reuerenced i God And onely God k Withal thine heart Loue God with all thine heart saith Augustine de doctri Christian. that is referre all thy thoughts with all thy soule that is referre all thy life with all thy mind that is referre all thine vnderstanding vnto him of whome thou hadst them all He leaues no part of vs to be giuen to another but wil haue the fruition ofall himselfe Origen explaines the hart viz the thought worke and memory the soule to bee ready to lose it for Gods sake The minde to professe or speake nothing but Godly things l Thou shalt Augustine de Doct. xpâ—…n saith that all men are neighbours one to another And so saith Christ in the first precept for as Chysostome saith Man is Gods Image
know and Hierome vppon the same saith These thinges fell vpon Iob that he might shew outwardly vnto men the loue that he held inwardly vnto God l UUee know Rom. 8. 28. Aduerse and prosperous fortune ar both assistants in the good mans saluation and there is nothing befalleth them but he can conuert it vnto the augmentation of his vertues That the Saints in their losse of things temporall loose not any thing at all CHAP. 9. THey lost all that they had what their faith their zeale their goods of the a inward man which inritcheth the soule before God These are a Christians ritches whereof the Apostle being possessed said Godlinesse is a great gaine if man bee content with what he hath for we brought nothing into this world nor can we cary any thing out therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs content our-selues there-with for they that wil be rich fall into temptation and snares and into many foolish and hurtfull desires which drowne men in perdition and destruction for b coueteousnesse of mony is the roote of all euill which while some lusting after haue erred from the faith and cast them-selues in many c sorrowes Such therefore as lost their goods in that destruction if they held them as the afore-said Apostle d poore without but rich within taught them that is if they vsed the world so as if they vsed it not at all then might they truly say with him that was so sore assalted and yet neuer ouerthrown e Nak◅d came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thether againe The Lord hath giuen it the Lord hath taken it away as it hath pleased the Lord so commeth it to passe blessed be the name of the Lord. He held his Lords will as a good seruant for great possessions and by attending that enritched his spirit nor greeued he at all at the losse of that in his life time which death perforce would make him leaue shortly after But those farre weaker soules though they preferre not these worldly things before Christ yet stick vnto them with a certaine exorbitant affection they must needs feele such paine in the loosing of them as their offence deserued in louing of them and endure the sorrowes in the same measure that they cast themselues into sorrowes As I said before out of the Apostle For it was meete for them to taste a little of the discipline of experience seeing thy had so long neglected instruction by words for the Apostle hauing said They that will be rich fall into temptations c. Herein doth hee reprehend the desire after ritches onely not the vse of them teaching likewise f else-where Charge them that are ritch in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in their vncertaine wealth but in the liuing God who giueth vs plentifully all things to enioy That they doe good and bee g ritch in good workes ready to distribute and communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine the true life They that did thus with their ritches by easing small burthens ◅eaped great gaines taking more ioy in that part which by their free distributiō vnto others they had h kept more safely then they felt sorrow for that which by their care to preserue to themselues they lost so easily For it was likely that that perish heare on earth which they had no minde to remooue into a more secure custodie For they that followe their Lords Counsell when hee saith vnto them Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moth and rust corrupt or where theeues dig through and steale but lay vp treasures for your selves in Heauen where neither rust nor moth corrupt nor theeues digge through and steale for where your treasure is there will your heart be also these I say in the time of tribulation were sure to find how well they were aduised in following that Maister of al truth and that diligent and dreadles keeper of all good treasure For seeing there were many that reioiced because they had hidden their treasure in a place which the foe by chance ouer-passed found not how much more certaine and secure might their comfort bee that by their Gods instruction had retired thither with their substance whether they were sure the foe could not come And therefore one i Paulinus being Bishop of Nola and hauing refused infinite ritches for voluntarie pouertie and yet was he ritch in holynesse when the Barbarians sacked Nola and held him prisoner thus prayed hee in his heart as hee told vs afterward Lord let mee not bee troubled for gold nor siluer for where all my treasures are thou knowest Euen there had hee laid vppe all his where hee hadde aduised him to lay it who fore-told these miseries to fall vppon the world And so others in that they obeyed GODS instructions for the choyce and preseruation of the true treasure indeed hadde euen their worldly treasures preserued from the fury of the Barbarians But others paid for their disobedience and because their precedent wisdome could not do it their sub-sequent experience taught them how to dispose of such temporall trash Some Christians by their enemies were putte vnto torture to make them discouer where their goods lay but that good whereby k them-selues were good they could neither loose nor discouer But if they had rather haue indured torture then discouer their l Mammon of iniquitie then were they far from good But those that suffered so much for gold were to be instructed what should bee indured for Christ that they might rather learne to loue him that enricheth his Martyrs with eternall felicity then gold and siluer for which it is miserable to indure any torment whether it bee concealed by lying or discouered by telling the truth For no man that euer confessed Christ could lose him amongst all the torments whereas no man could euer saue his gold but by denying it VVherefore euen those very torments are more profitable in that they teach a man to loue an incoruptible good then those goods in that they procure their owners torture through the blind loue they beare vnto them But some that had no such goods and yet were thought to haue them were tortured also VVhy perhaps they had a desire to them though they had them not and were poore against their wils not of their owne election And then though their possessions did not iustly deserue those afflictions yet their affections did But if their mindes flew a loftyer pitch beholding both the possession and the affection of ritches with an eye of scorne I make a doubt whether any such were euer tormented in this kinde or beeing so innocent incurred any such imputation But if they did truly they in these their tortures confessing their sanctified pouertie confessed CHRIST him-selfe And therefore though the extorted confession of such holy
the gods but for the mother of any senatour of any honest man nay euen for the mothers of the players them selues to giue care too Naturall shame hath bound vs with some respect vnto our parents which vice it selfe cannot abolish But that beastlynesse of obâ—… speaches and actions which the Players acted in publike before the mother of all the gods and in sight and hearing of an huge multitude of both sexes they would be ashamed to act at home in priuate before their mothers g were it but for repitition sake And as for that company that were their specâ—… though they might easily bee drawn thether by curiosity yet beholding câ—…ity so fouly iniured me thinkes they should haue bene driuen from thence by the meete shame that immodesty can offend honesty withall What can â—…dges be it those were sacrifices or what can bee pollution if this were a purification and these were called h Iuncates as if they made a feast where all the vâ—…eane dâ—… of hell might fill their bellies For who knowes not what 〈◊〉 of spirit 〈◊〉 are that take pleasure in these obscurities vnlesse hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there bee any such vncleane spirits that thus illude men vnder the names of gods or else vnlesse hee be such an one as wisheth the pleasure and feares the displeasure of those damned powers more then hee doth the loue and wrath of the true and euerliuing God L. VIVES SAcriligious a mockories Inuerting this the holy plaies a phrase vsed much by the Pagans b The Enthusiastikes persons rapt This place requireth some speech of the mother of the gods Diodorus Siculus Biblioth lib. 4. tels the story of this Mother of the gods diuers waies For first hee writeth thus Caelus had by his wife Titaea fiue forty children two of which were women called Regina and Ops Regina being the elder and miser of the two brought vp all her other bretheren to doe her mother a pleasure and therefore she was called the mother of the gods and was marryed to hir brother Hiperion to whome shee 〈◊〉 Sol and Luna who being both murdered by their vncles wicked practises she fel mad ranging vp and downe the Kingdome with a noise of drummes and cimbals and that this grew to a custome after she was dead Then he addes another fable that one Menoes an ancient King of Phryâ—… had by his wife Dindimene a daughter whome he caused to be cast forth vpon mount Cyâ—… 〈◊〉 that the infant being nourished vp by wilde beasts grew to be of admirable beauty and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a â—…pheardesse was by her brought vp as her own childe and named Cibele of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was found that shee innented many arts of her owne head and taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on pipes danncing drummes and cimbals also farying of horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein shee was so fortunate that they named her The great mother Gâ—…ing vp vnto yeares she fell in loue with a youth of that country called Atis being with childâ—… by 〈◊〉 was sâ—… for backe by her father Menoes for a Uirgin but the guilt beeing knowne 〈◊〉 and the Nurses were put to death and Cibele being extreamely in loue with Atis fell madde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her fathers house along with a Timbrell and a cimball she came to Nisa to Dioniâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where sâ—… few yeares after she dyed And soone after a great famine togeâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Pâ—…gia the inhabitants were commanded by Oracle to giue diuine worship to Atis and Cibele and hence arose the first canonization of the Mother of the gods Thus farre Diodorus who no doubt hath declared the true originall of it as it was But some do guesse that she was the mother of Iupiter Iuno Neptune and Pluto and therefore was called Rhea and in latine Ops and Cibele and Vesta as all one Nor make I any question but that this history is confounded as is vsuall in euery fable of the gods that she was a virgin and therefore named Vesta and that therefore Atys was faigned to bee a goodly young man whom she louing and commanding that she should neuer meddle with any other woman he neglecting her command fell in loue with a Nimph called Sangritis which Cybele depriued him of those partes whereby hee was man and for that reason euer since will haue her Priests defectiue in that fashion And because that she was most ordinarily worshipped of the Phrygians vpon Mount Ida there vpon she got the name of the Idean mother and of Berecynthia as also of the Phrigian goddesse Hie Priests were called Galli of the riuer Gallus in Phrigia the water whereof beeing drunke maketh men madde And these Galli themselues doe wherle their heads about in their madnesse slashing their faces and bodies with kniues and tearing themselues with their teeth when they are either madde in shew or madde indeed Their goddesse which was nothing but a great stone vpon Mount Ida the Romanes transported into Italy the day before the Ides of Aprill which day they dedicated vnto her honours and the plaies called Megalesia as on that day were acted Liuy lib. 29. speaking of the Mother of the gods hath these words They brought the goddesse into the Temple of Victorie which is on the Mount Palatine the daie before the Ides of Aprill So that was made her feast daie And all the people brought giftes vnto the goddesse vnto the Mount Palatine and the Temples were spred for banquets and the Plaies were named Megalesia this is also in his sixteenth booke About the same time a Temple was dedicated vnto the great Idean mother which P. Cornelius receiued being brought out of Asia by sea P. Cornelius Scipio afterward surnamed Africane and P. Licinius beeing consulls M. Liuius and C. Claudius beeing censors gaue order for the building of the Temple And thirteene yeares after it was dedicated or consecrated by M. Iunius Brutus M. Cornelius and T. Sempronius beeing Consulls and the Plaies that were made for the dedication thereof beeing the first plaies that euer came on stage Antias Valerius affirmeth were named Megalesia Thus farre Liuy To whom Varro agreeth also liber 3. de lingua Latina Enthusiastiques or persons rapt Were men distraught taken with madnesse as Bertcynthia's Galli were Saint Augustine vpon Genesis calls them men taken with spirits possessed c Pipers Or the singers Symphoniacos it commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Harmony or consort In the feastes of Cybele was much of this numerall musicke with Pipes and Tymbrells Hereof Ouid singeth thus in his fastorum lib 4. Protinus inflexo Berecynthia tybia cornu Flabit Idaeae festa parentis erunt Ibunt Semimares inania tympana tundent Aeraâ—… tinnitus are repulsa dabunt Then Berecynthias crooked pipes shall blovv Th' Idaan mothers feast approcheth now Whose gelded Priests along the streetes doe passe With Timbrells and the tinckling sounds of brasse And a little after Tibia dat Phrygios vt
asked him if he would go to Epirus with him he would giue him the forth part of his kingdom he replied it was not fit for al the people would wish rather to be vnder his coÌ„mand then Pirrhus his Pirrhus content with this answer admired the plaine magnanimity of the man offered him mony as a friend he would none m One that Cornelius Ruffinus this was Fabritius the Censor put him off the Senat for being worth ten pound in coined siluer Liu. libâ—… nay he had beene Dictator saith Gellius lib. 4. this was the first Cornelius that was called Sybiâ—… and then Silla of all the Cornelian family Macrob he was first consull with Manl. Cur. denatus and thirteen yeares after with C. Iunius n poore men Rome was neuer more fertile of continent honest men then in the warre of Pirrhus The difference betweene the desire of glory and the desire of rule CHAP. 19. THere is a difference betweene desire of glory and desire of rule for though the first do incline to the second yet such as affect the true humane glory haue a desire to be pleasing vnto good iudgments for ther is much good in manners whereof many can iudge well although many againe haue not this good not go that honest way to glory honor and soueraignty that Salust saith of He goeth the true way But whosoeuer desires to rule without that desire of glory which keeps men in awe of good iudgments he careth not by what villany he compasse affect and so his going about it will shew And therefore the hunter of glory either followeth the true tract or couers his courses so well that he is held to bee still in the true tract and thought to be good when hee is not so wherefore to the vertuous contempt of glory is a great vertue because God beholdeth it and not the iudgemeÌ„t of man for whatsoeuer he doth before men to shew this contempt hee hath no reason to thinke they suspect him amisse that thinke hee doth it for his more glory But he that contemneth their opinatiue praise contemneth also with it their vnaduised suspect yet not their saluation if he be good because he that hath his goodnesse from God is of that iustice that he loueth his very enemies and so loueth them that he wisheth his slanderers backe-bitâ—…rs reformed and to become his companions not here but in his eternall country for his commenders as he respecteth not their praises so hee neglecteth not their loues desiring neither to falsefie their prayses nor delude their loues and therefore vrgeth theÌ„ to the praise of him from whom euery one hath al his praise-worthy endowments But that man that despising glory doteth on dominatioÌ„ is worse then a beast both in a manners barbarisme lustes extremity Such men Rome hath had for though it had lost the care of credit yet it retained stil the affect of souerainty nay Rome saith History had many such But b Nero Caesar was he that got first of all to the top-turret of all this enormity whose luxury was such that one would not haue feared any manly act of his yet was his cruelty such as one ignoraÌ„t of him would not haue thought any effeminat sparke resideÌ„t in him yet euen such as this man was haue no dominion but from the great Gods prouidence holding mans vices soÌ„etimes worthy of such plagues The scripture of him is plaine By me kings raigne Princes Tyrans by me gouerne the earth But c least Tyrannus here should be taken only for vild wicked kings not as it it meant for al the old worthies heare Vir. Pars mihi pacis crit dextraÌ„ tetigisse Tâ—…ranni d Some peace I hope by touching your kings hands But elsewhere it is more plainely spoken of God that he maketh an hipocrite to raigne because the people are snared in peruersnesse Wherefore though I haue done what I can to show the cause why the true and iust God gaue the Romaines such assistance in erecting their Empires and Citties earthly glory vpon such a frame of Monarchy yet there may be a more secret cause then yet we see namely the diuers deserts of the world open to God though not to vs it being plaine to all godly men that no man can haue true vertue without true piety that is the true adoration of the one and true God nor is that vertue true neither when it serueth but for humane ostentation But those that are not of the etereternall citty called in the scriptures the citty of God they are more vse-full to their earthly citty e in possessing of that world-respecting vertue then if they wanted that also But if f those that are truly Godly and vp-right of life come to haue the gouernment of estates there can no greater happines befall the world then through the mercy of God to be gouerned by such men And they do attribute all their vertues be they neuer so admired vnto the grace of God only g who gaue them to their desires their faith and prayers besides they know how far they are from true perfection of iustice I meane such as is in the angelicall powers for whose fellowship they make them-selues fit But let that vertue that serueth humaine glory without piety be neuer so much extolled it is not comparable so much as with the vnperfect beginnings of the Saints vertues whose assured hope standeth fixed in the grace and mercy of the true God L. VIVES MAnners a Barbarisme or vices barbarisme read whether you will b Nero Sonne to Domitius Aenobarbus and Agrippina daughter to Germanicus adopted by Cl. Caesar his Stepfather and named Nero â—…aesar after him he succeded him and was the last of Caesars bloud that was emperor a man of strange cruelty and beastlinesse and for these vices left noted to all posterity otherwise as Suetonius saith he was desirous of eternity of same He called Aprâ—… after him-selfe Neroneus and ment to haue named Rome Neropolis c Least Tirans Of this before the King the tyran diffred not of old the word comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to command or sway Uirgill Te propter lybicae gentis Nomadumque Tyranni Odêre incensi for thee the Libians and Numidian Kings hated him fore c. and Horace carm 3. Princeps et innantem Maricae Littoribus tenuisse Lyrim latè Tyrannus c. Tyrannus is some-times Lord some-times a cruell Prince sometimes a Potent Prince Acron So Augustine here putteth worthy for Potent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke being both power and fortitude as Homer Pindarus often vse it In Nemeis de Hercule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my sonnes valor d Some peace Latinus his words of Aeneas whom he held to be a good man e In possessing A falty place the sence is when they haue that desire of human glory they are of more vse in an ea thly state theÌ„ when they want
is truly happy mary there is great hope of partaking it in the life to come when wee are freed from the bodies bounds the sole impediment of the soules perfection But when we die so we die pure then in the sight of that it that truly existent truth God we shall inioy the height of our desires that is truth and vniuersall knowledge Wherefore as the eye wanting the light is vselesse and setteth the owner sadly affected in darkenes and perpetually sorrowfull but when the Sun the light comes it riseth with vigor to the function and vseth the office with cheerefulnesse and alacrity so our intellect beeing vngiued from the body if it want the light of Gods truth it must needes lament and languish but if it haue it it exulteth and ioyfully vseth that light which presents the formes of all the creation Whence it commeth that in our pleasures and felicities wherein we fulfill our affections and as it were inioy our selues we dâ—…ot reape that delectable comfort that we draw from the internall contemplation of that eternall good and from that attayning the pure light of so perfect a wisedome So that the soule that is absolutely blessed inioyeth not God in his beauty and loue which concerne pleasure an act of the will but in his truth which is an act of the intellect though then followeth his beauty and his loue intirely delectable nor can these be seperated For none knowes God but admireth him none admireth him but ioines loue to his admiration and delighteth in them all Thus much out of Plato in diuers places of his Respub leges Phadon and Philaebus who still preferreth the inquiry and contemplation of truth and that to men of pure life exhorting and exciting all there-vnto And this all the Academicks and Peripatetiques professe after him as Tully teacheth De finib lib. 5. Of that Phylosophy that commeth nearest to Christianity CHAP. 9. LEt it suffice now to remember that Plato a did determine that the end of al good was the attayning a vertuous life which none could but hee that knew and followed God nor is any man happy by any other meanes And therefore he affirmeth that to be a Philosopher is to loue God whose nature is incorporeal And consequently that wisedomes student the Phylosopher is then blessed when hee inioyeth God For though the inioying of each thing a man loueth doth not forth-with make him happy for many by placing their loue on hateful obiects are wretched and more wretched in inioying them yet is no man happy that inioyeth not that he loueth For b euen those that loue what they should not thinke not them-selues happy in louing but in inioying But he that inioyes what he loues and loues the true and greatest good Who but a wretch will deny him to bee happy This true and greatest good is GOD saith Plato and therefore hee will haue a Phylosopher a louer of GOD that because Phylosophy aimes at beatitude the louer of God might bee blessed by inioying GOD. Wherfore what euer Phylosophers they were that held this of the high and true 〈◊〉 that he was the worlds Creator the light of vnderstanding and the good of all action that he is the beginning of nature the truth of doctrine and the happineâ—… life whether they be called Platonists as fittest or by any other sect c â—…er the Ionian teacher held as this Plato did and vnderstood him well Or thâ—…e Italians held it from Pythagoras his followers or any other of the same â—…ine of what nation so euer they were and were counted Phylosophers d â—…tes Lybians e Egiptians f Indians g Persians h Chaldees i Scythiâ—… Galles l Spaniards or others that obserued and taught this doctrine tâ—… wee preferre before all others and confesse their propinquity with our â—…e For though a Christian vsed onely to the Scriptures neuer heard of 〈◊〉 â—…nists nor knoweth whether Greece held two sects of Phylosophers the 〈◊〉 and the Italian yet is hee not so ignorant in humanity but hee knowes 〈◊〉 Phylosophers professe either the study of wisedome or wisedome 〈◊〉 But lette him beware of those that dispute m of the Elements of this 〈◊〉 â—…ely and reach not vp to God that made them Elements The Apostle 〈◊〉 good warning of this Beware saith hee least any deceiue you by Philosophy 〈◊〉 deceipt according to the worlds Elements But least you should thinke 〈◊〉 held all Phylosophers to bee such hee saith else-where n For that 〈◊〉 â—…ich is knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it vnto 〈◊〉 For his invisible powers from the beginning of the world are manifested by 〈◊〉 and so is his p eternall vertue And hauing spoken a great matter conâ—… God vnto the Athenians which few of them vnderstood q In him we liue 〈◊〉 and haue our beeing he added as some also of your writers haue said Hee 〈◊〉 to beware of their errors For hee said that GOD had by his workes 〈◊〉 his invisible power to their vnderstanding there also hee said that they 〈◊〉 worship him aright but gaue the diuine honours with were his pecuriarly 〈◊〉 â—…her thinges theÌ„ was lawful because that when they knew God they glorified him 〈◊〉 â—…d neither were thankefull but became vaine in their owne imaginations O 〈◊〉 â—…sh heart was full of darkenesse For professing them-selues wise they prooued 〈◊〉 â—…d turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the Image of 〈◊〉 â—…ible man and of birds and beasts and serpents r In this place the Romains 〈◊〉 â—…ns Egiptians and all that gloryed in their wisedome are iustly taxed But 〈◊〉 â—…d we will argue this hereafter as for those things wherin we and they conâ—… of one God the Creator of this vniuerse who is not only incorporeall 〈◊〉 all bodies but also incorruptible aboue all spirits our beginning our light 〈◊〉 goodnesse in these we preferre them before all others L. VIVES 〈◊〉 did determine That venerable and holy-teaching Plato surmounting all Phyloâ—…â—…rs in almost all other matters in defining mans greatest good out-stript â—…m-selfe in his first booke De Legib. Hee deuides good into diuine and humaine 〈◊〉 is quite seperate from vertue the first conioyned therewith Socrates in Gorâ—…â—…es â—…es that beatitude consisteth in learning and vertue calling onely the good happy 〈◊〉 wretched And in Menexenus in sixe hundred places and so all Plato through 〈◊〉 onely honest and beauteous As for other goddes without vertue they are the deâ—… of him that possesseth them But these are but Plato's common sayings in these 〈◊〉 â—…th with his fellowes But when he list he riseth in spirit and leaues all to other 〈◊〉 of wisedome beneath him His Philebus is a dialogue of the greatest good or as some intitle it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of pleasure Therein hee maketh sixe rankes of goods in the second standes the thinges proportionate faire perfect sufficient and such like In the third vnderstanding and sapience In the
otâ—… iâ—…â—…uffeth vp that is filleth one with vaine glory So then In the diuels is thâ—…â—…owledge without charity and thence they are puffed so big so proud that thâ—… 〈◊〉 honours which they well know to be Gods due they haue euer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…em-selues and as far as they can doe so still Now what power the 〈◊〉 oâ—… Câ—…â—…hat came in forme of a seruant hath against this diuels pride as men deserued â—…ered in their hearts mens wretched minds beeing diueleshly as yet puffed vppe can by no meanes because of their proud tumor compâ—…hend or conceiue L. VIVES GReeke a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the old greeke was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know Thence came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the author of the great Etymology All knowing And 〈◊〉 of the same minde for their knowledge In Cratylo Capella followeth him and so â—…ers Lactantius also lib. 2. giues them this name for their vnderstanding And so doth â—…lcidius vpon Plato his Timaeus In what manner the Lord would make him-selfe knowne to the Diuells CHAP. 21. FOâ—… the diuels hadde this knowledge they could say to the Lord in the flesh 〈◊〉 haue we to do with thee O Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroy vs 〈◊〉 time Here is a plaine knowledge without charity they feare to be plaâ—…y him but loued not the iustice in him Their knowledge was bounded â—…is will and his will with conuenience But they knew him not as the Angels 〈◊〉 him that participate of his Deity in all eternity but vnto their terror out of 〈◊〉 clutches he quit those yâ— he had predestinated to his Kingdom of true eterâ—…y and eternall glorious truth The diuels therefore knew him not as hee 〈◊〉 life eternall the vnchangeable light illuminating all the godly who reâ—…hat light to the purification of their hearts by faith but they knew him by â—…mporall effects of his presence and secret signes of his vertue which the diâ—… angelicall sences might easilier obserue then mans naturall infirmity â—…gnes when he suppressed the Prince of diuels made question of his Deiâ—…empted him for the b tryall of his Deity trying how farre hee would â—…m-selfe to bee tempted in c adapting his humanity vnto our imitatiâ—… d after his temptation when the good and glorious Angels whome â—…els extremely feared came and ministred vnto him then the diuels gotte â—…nd more knowledge of him and not one of them durst resist his command 〈◊〉 hee seemed infirme and e contemptible in the flesh L. VIVES ANgelicall a sences Christs miracles were more admired of the Angells and Diuels then of men because they knowing the causes of thinges saw natures power conâ—… and transcended Now men though they saw them strange yet wanted there not 〈◊〉 to say hee cast out diuels by Beelzebub their Prince not so much beleeuing this indeed â—…g that the simple multitude should beleeue it And others of later time haue falseâ—…ged him with art Magicke against whome by GODS helpe I will deale at large 〈◊〉 bookes De sapientia Christiana b For tryall The Diuell generally tempts man to 〈◊〉 but here he aymed not so much at sinne for he knew his sanctity at least neare inexâ—…ble but his fetch was to see whether the Deity were in this humaine forme c Aâ—…g Because he would not seeme exempted by passing vntempted from humaine conâ—… Nor should his seruants after him thinke much to be tempted seeing that old 〈◊〉 â—…nemy of man didde not spare CHRIST him-selfe d After temptation This â—…mplary also For as none shall passe vntempted so if none yeeld to the temptation 〈◊〉 shall all inioy the solace and ministery of Angels as Hierome saith e Contemptible 〈◊〉 needy of meane birth and place farre from ostentation and hauing his society of such like as hee was The difference of the holy Angels knowledge and the Diuels CHAP. 22. VNto the good Angels the knowledge of all temporall things that puffes vp the Diuels is vile not that they want it but in that they wholy respect the loue of that God that sanctifieth them in comparison of which ineffable and vnchangeable glory with the a loue of with they are inflamed they contemne al that is vnder it that is b not it yea and euen them-selues that al their good may be imployed in inioying that onely good And so came they to a more sure knowledge of the world viewing in God the principall causes of the worlds creation which causes do confirme this frustrate that and dispose of all now the c diuels are fat from beholding those eternall and fundamentall causes in the wisedome of God only they can extract a notion from certaine secret signes which man is ignorant in haue more experience and therefore may oftener presage euents But they are often deceiued mary the Angels neuer For it is one thing to presage changes euents from changeable and casuall grounds and to confound them by as changeable a will as the diuels are permitted to do another thing to fore-see the changes of times and the wil of God in his eternall vnalterable decrees most d certain most powerful by the participatioÌ„ of his diuine spirit as the Angels ar vouchsafed by due gradation to do So are they eternal and blessed He is their God that made them for his participation and contemplation they do e continually inioy L. VIVES THe a loue Loue alwayes worketh on beauteous obiects Socrates in Plato's Phado saith that if corporall eyes could behold the face of honesty and wisedome they would hold it most deer and amiable What then if we could see Gods face whose fayrenesse saith the booke of wisedom appeares euen in this that our fayrest obiects are of his making Diotina in Plato's Conui as wee said aboue holds but one pulchritude worthy the loue of an honest man that desires beatitude b Is not all that is not God being vile in respect of God the Angels contemne both all and them-selues in respect of him which cogitation fastneth them so firme in Vnion with God that his beatitude sufficeth without all other appendances to make them eternally blessed c The diuels For they cannot behold the pole or foundation where-vpon all causes are grounded and turned nor the fount whence they arise but only by their pregnancy and wit surmounting ours as also by experence more then ours beeing immortall they haue a quicke conceipt of things present and a surer presage in things to come then we haue Whereby coniecturing euents not from the proper cause but their owne coniectures they are oftentimes deceiued ly when they think they speak most true boasting that they know al things Nor do the vnpure diuels faile herein onely but euen the gods them-selues saith Porphyry d Most certaine Gods will hath this certainty it effecteth what it pleaseth else were it not certaine as not being in his power but all effects
CHAP. 25. By the fayth of this mistery might the ancient Saints of God also bee iustified together with godly life not only before the law was giuen the hebrewes for they wanted not Gods instructions nor the Angels but also in the very 〈◊〉 of the law though they seemed to haue carnall promises in the types of spyrâ—…al thinges it being therefore called the old Testament For there were Propâ—…s then that taught the promise as wel as the Angels and one of them was he â—…se sacred opinion of mans good I related before It is good for me to adhere vnâ—… In which Psalme the two Testaments are distinguished For first hee â—…ng those earthly promises abound so to the vngodly saith his b feete slippâ—… and that he was almost downe as if hee had serued God in vayne seeing that â—…ty that hee hoped of God was bestowed vppon the impious and that hee laboured sore to know the reason of this and was much troubled vntill hee entred into the sanctuary of God and there beheld their endes whome hee in errour thought happy But then c as hee saith hee saw them east downe in their exâ—…on and destroyed for their iniquity and that all their pompe of temporall 〈◊〉 was become as a dreame leauing a man when hee is awake frustrate of â—…ed ioyes hee dreamed off And because they shewed great here vpon 〈◊〉 saith hee In thy Citty thou shalt make their Image bee held as nothing 〈◊〉 good it was for him to seek those temporalties at none but Gods hands â—…weth â—…aying I was as a beast before thee yet was I alwaies with thee as a beast â—…erstanding For I should haue desired such goodes as the wicked could not 〈◊〉 with mee but seeing them abound with goods I thought I had serued thee 〈◊〉 end when as they that hated thee inioyed such felicity Yet was I alwaies with 〈◊〉 fought no other goddes to begge these thinges vppon And then it followâ—… Thou hast holden me by my right hand thou hast guided me by thy will and hast asâ—… into glory As if all that which he saw the wicked inioy were belonging 〈◊〉 left hand though seeing it he had almost falne What haue I in heauen but 〈◊〉 sayth he And would I haue vpon earth but thee Then hee doth checke himâ—… iustly for hauing so great a good in Heauen as afterwards hee vnderstood 〈◊〉 yet begging so transitory frayle and earthen a thing of God here below d 〈◊〉 heart faileth and my flesh but God is the God of mine heart A good fayling to 〈◊〉 the lower and elect the loftyer So that in another Psalme he sayth My soule â—…geth and fainteth for the Courtes of the Lord. And in another My heart fainteth 〈◊〉 thy sauing health But hauing sayd both heart and flesh fainteth hee reioyned not The God of mine heart and flesh but the God of my heart for it is by the heart that 〈◊〉 â—…sh is cleansed as the Lord sayth Cleanse that which is within and then that 〈◊〉 is without shall be cleane Then he calleth God his portion not any thing of 〈◊〉 but him-selfe God is the God of my heart and my portion for euer Because 〈◊〉 mens manifold choyces he chose him only For e behold saith he they 〈◊〉 â—…thdraw them-selues from them shall perish f thou destroyest al them that go 〈◊〉 from thee that is that make them-selues prostitute vnto many gods and then â—…owes that which is the cause I haue spoken al this of the Psalme As for me it is good for mee to adhere vnto GOD not to withdraw my selfe nor to goe a whoring And then is our adherence to God perfect when all is freed that should bee freed But as wee are now the hold is I put my trust in the Lord God for hope that is seene is no hope how can a man hope for that which he seeth savth the Apostle But when we see not our hope then we expect with patience wherein lette vs do that which followeth each one according to his talent becomming an Angell a messenger of God to declare his will and praise his gratious glory That I may declare all thy workes saith hee in the gates of the daughter of Sion This is that gloryous Citty of God knowing and honouring him alone This the Angells declared inuiting vs to inhabite it and become their fellow Cittizens in it They like not that wee should worship them as our elected Gods but with them him that is God to vs both Nor to sacrifice to them but with them be a sacrifice to him Doubtlesse then if malice giue men leaue to see the doubt cleared al the blessed immortalls that enuy vs not and if they did they were not blessed but rather loue vs to haue vs partners in their happinesse are farre more fauourable and beneficiall to vs when wee ioyne with them in sacrificing our selues to the adoration of the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit L. VIVES WHich a Psal. 73. diuinely soluing of this question of the Phylosophers Why one God ruling all haue the good so often hurt and the bad so much good Or Epicurus his Dilemma If there be a God whence is euill If none whence is good Augustine recites some verses and we wil breefely interpose here and there a word b Feete slipped or moued by the vnworthy euent to take another way it seeming to him to haue done so little good in this c Them All things saith the wise man are secret vntil the end but then the good life helps and the bad hurts the one rewarded and the other plagued for then all appeareth in truth d My heart A sanctified man in all his troubles and faintings of strength and counsell still keepes heart-hold of God making him his portion for euer loose he all thinges God he will neuer loose Augustine me thinks applyeth this to the defect of spirit through the vehement desire of celestiall comfortes For the soule will languish into much loue and lose all the selfe in entyre speculation of that it affecteth Or he may meane that although all bodily meanes of strength or state do faile a good man yet his minde will stil sticke firmely vnto God and entertaine a contempt of all worldly wealth and all guifts of wit or fortune in respect of this God this onely ritches and heritage e Behold Therefore is it good to adhere to him from whom who-soeuer departeth perisheth f Thou destroyest Wee ought to keepe our soule chaste as the spouse of God which if it go a whoring after the desires and lusts of the world neglecting God hee casteth it off as a man doth his dishonest wife and diuorceth it from him And this is the death of the soule to leaue the true life thereof Of Porphyry his wauering betweene confessing of the true God and adoration of the diuels CHAP. 26. Me thinkes Porphrry I know not how is ashamed of his Thevrgicall acquaintance Hee had some knowledge of good
for the other the Romaines had those gods and this worship and the Grecians others the French others from theirs Spaine Scythia India Persia all seuerall Bâ—… all that professe CHRIST haue one GOD and one sacrifice d All for the world Liuing vnder Diocletian a sore persecutor of Christianity e Witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a witnesse f â—…hy câ—…eth Why came it not ere now or so g Mountaine Some bookes leaue out of 〈◊〉 â—…se the 70. read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the mount of the Lord and house of our God h Iâ—…â—…er It was the beginning or seminary of Gods Church i Commanded Some adde the deuills to depart but it is needlesse k Maternall The mistery is that nothing that oâ—… Sauiour touched is stained or corrupted l In prophecies In Moyses lawe m Performances In our law by Apostles and other holy Preachers n Concerning health Or to befal the health better o Confirming or the rule of which they challenge to themselues in fitting wicked aâ—…fections with correspondent effects For they can vse their powers of nature farre mâ—…re knowingly then we in procuring health or sicknesse Finis lib 10. THE CONTENTS OF THE eleuenth booke of the City of God 〈◊〉 Of that part of the worke wherein the deâ—…ion of the beginnings and ends of the â—…es the Heauenly and Earthly are deâ—… 〈◊〉 Of the knowledge of God which none can 〈◊〉 but through the Mediator betweene â—…d Man the Man Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 Of the authority of the canonicall scripâ—…â—…de by the spirit of God 〈◊〉 â—…at the state of the world is neither eâ—… nor ordained by any new thought of 〈◊〉 â—…f he meant that after which he meant â—…re 〈◊〉 â—…at we ought not to seeke to comprehend â—…te spaces of time or place ere the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the World and Time had both one â—…g nor was the one before the other 〈◊〉 Of the first sixe daies that had morning â—…g ere the Sunne was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must thinke of Gods resting the 〈◊〉 â—…fter his six daies worke 〈◊〉 â—…is to bee thought of the qualities of 〈◊〉 â—…ording to scripture 〈◊〉 â—…e vncompounded vnchangeable 〈◊〉 Father the Sonne and the Holy 〈◊〉 God in substance and quality euer 〈◊〉 same 〈◊〉 â—…ether the Spirits that fell did euer 〈◊〉 the Angells in their blisse at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happinesse of the iust that â—…as yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reward of the diuine promise comâ—… the first men of Paradise before sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether the Angells were created in 〈◊〉 of happinesse that neither those that 〈◊〉 â—…hey should fall nor those that perseueâ—…â—…ew they should perseuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is meant of the deuill Hee aâ—… in the truth because there is no 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 Thâ—… meaning of this place The diuell 〈◊〉 from the beginning 〈◊〉 Of the different degrees of creatures 〈◊〉 â—…ble vse and reasons order do differ 17. That the vice of malice is not naturall but against nature following the will not the Creator in sinne 18. Of the beauty of this vniuerse augmented by Gods ordinance out of contraries 19. The meaning of that God seperated the light from the darkenesse 20. Of that place of scripture spoken after the seperation of the light and darkenesse And God saw the light that it was good 21. Of Gods eternall vnchanging will and knowledge wherin he pleased to create al things in forme as they were created 22. Concerning those that disliked some of the good Creators creatures and thought some things naturally euill 23. Of the error that Origen incurreth 24. Of the diuine Trinity notifying it selfe in some part in all the workes thereof 25. Of the tripartite diuision of all philosophicall discipline 26. Of the Image of the Trinity which is in some sort in euery mans nature euen before his glorification 27. Of Essence knowledge of Essence and loue of both 28. Whether we draw nearer to the Image of the holy Trinity in louing of that loue by which we loue to be and to know our being 29. Of the Angells knowledge of the Trinity in the Deity and consequently of the causes of things in the Archetype ere they come to be effected in workes 30. The perfection of the number of sixe the first is compleate in all the parts 31. Of the seauenth day the day of rest and compleate perfection 32. Of their opinion that held Angells to be created before the world 33. Of the two different societies of Angells not vnfitly tearmed light and darkenesse 34. Of the opinion that some held that the Angells were ment by the seuered waters and of others that held waters vncreated FINIS THE ELEVENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD. Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of that part of the worke wherein the demonstration of the beginings and ends of the two Citties the heauenly and the earthly are declared CHAP. 1. WE giue the name of the Citty of GOD vnto that society wherof that scripture beareth wittnesse which hath gotten the most excellent authority preheminence of all other workes whatsoeuer by the disposing of the diuine prouidence not the affectation of mens iudgements For there it is sayd Glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citty of God and in an other place Great As the LORD and greatly to bee praised in the Citty of our God euen vpon his holy mountaine increasing the ioy of all the earth And by and by in the same Psalme As wee haue heard so haue wee seene in the Citty of the Lord of Hoastes in the Citty of our God God â—…th established it for euer and in another The riuers streames shall make glad the Citie of God the most high hath sanctified his tabernacle God is in the middest of it vnâ—…ed These testimonies and thousands more teach vs that there is a Citty of God whereof his inspired loue maketh vs desire to bee members The earthly cittizens prefer their Gods before this heauenly Citties holy founder knowing not that he is the God of gods not of those false wicked and proud ones which wanting his light so vniuersall and vnchangeable and beeing thereby cast into an extreame needy power each one followeth his owne state as it were and begs peculiar honors of his seruants but of the Godly and holy ones who select their owne submission to him rather then the worlds to them and loue rather to worship him their God then to be worshipped for gods themselues The foes of this holy Citty our former ten bookes by the helpe of our Lord King I hope haue fully â—…ffronted And now knowing what is next expected of mee as my promise viz. to dispute as my poore talent stretcheth of the originall progresse and consummation of the two Citties that in this worldly confusedly together 〈◊〉 the assistance of the same God and King of ours I set pen to paper intending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew the beginning of these two arising from the difference betweene 〈◊〉 â—…gelical powers Of the
originall of it selfe and returned vppon it selfe it would 〈◊〉 vnto beatitude exempting vs from need of any other good But seeing 〈◊〉 hath beeing from GOD our author doubtlesse wee must both 〈◊〉 to teach vs true wisedome and to inspire vs with the meanes to beâ—…â—…essed by his high sweetnesse L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a by the vse vsuâ—… I translate practise fructus vse otherwise Here seemes to bee an 〈◊〉 of the word vse for whereas he sayth workmanships stands on three grounds naâ—…â—…d vse vse is here practise But he wrested it to his meaning namely the practise of eâ—…â—…eferred to vse or profit therby iudged b I Know we haue fruition of yâ— wee deâ—…â—…er end therfore saith Aug. We only inioy God and vse al things else Of this read â—…tr Christ. In 80. quest De trinit where he ties fruition to eternal felicity vse to the 〈◊〉 him had Peter Lumbard inough Sent. l. 1. the schoolmeÌ„ euen more then inough Of the Image of the Trinity which is in some sort in euery mans nature euen before his glorification CHAP. 26. 〈◊〉 we haue in our selues an image of that holy Trinity which shal be perfecâ—…â—…y reformation and made very like it though it be far vnequall and farre 〈◊〉 from it briefly neither coeternall with God nor of his substance yet is it 〈◊〉 â—…est it of any creature for we both haue a being know it and loue both our â—…d knowledge And in these three no false apparance euer can deceiue vs. 〈◊〉 not discerne them as thinges visible by sence as wee see colours heare 〈◊〉 â—…scent smels taste sauors and touch things hard and soft the a abstacts of 〈◊〉 â—…bleÅ› we conceiue remember desire in incorporeal formes most like 〈◊〉 â—…ther in those three it is not so I know b without al phantastical imagiâ—…â—…at I am my selfe that this I know and loue I feare not the c Academike 〈◊〉 â—…s in these truths yâ— say what if you er d if I er I am For he that hath no 〈◊〉 â—…ot er and therfore mine error proues my beeing which being so how 〈◊〉 â—…holding my being for though I be one that may er yet doubtles in that 〈◊〉 being I er not consequently if I know that I know my being loâ—…e two I adioyne this loue as a third of equall esteeme with the two 〈◊〉 not erre in that I loue knowing the two thinges I loue without 〈◊〉 they were false it were true that I loued false thinges For how could I bee iustly checked for louing of false thinges if it were false that I loued them But â—…ing the thinges loued are true and sure how can the loue of them bee bâ—… true and sure And there is no man that desireth not to bee as there is none deâ—… not to be happy for how can he haue happinesse and haue no beeing L. VIVES THe a abstracts For shutte our eyes and tast our thought tells vs what a thing whitenesse and sweetnesse is wher-vpon our dreames are fraught with such thinges and we are able to iudge of them without their presence But these are in our exterior sences our imagination our common sence and our memory all which beasts haue as well as wee and in these many things are rashly obserued which if wee assent vnto wee erre for the sences are their weake dull and vnsure teachers teaching those other to apprehend things often false for true But the reasonable mind being proper only to man that ponders al and vseth all dilligence to auoyd falsehoods for truth warning vs to obserue well ere we iudge b Phantasticall Of fancy already c Academickes These took away the trust of the sences and held that nothing was known If you said I know this stone to moue because I see it or touch it they replyed What if you erre Did you neuer thinke you saw some-what moue that stood still as in sayling or riding Did you neuer thinke some-what moued that moued not vnder your touch There you were deceiued so may you bee now Restrayne your assent nothing offends wisedome more then consent before full knowledge d If I erre Therefore our Phylosophers vppon Aristotles Posteriora say that this proposition is of the greatest euidence Of essence knowledge of essence and loue of both CHAP. 27. SO a naturally doth this delight that very wretches for nothing else but this would rather leaue their misery then the World knowing them-selues wretches tho yet would they not dye And the most wretched of all eyther in wise iudgements for b their foolishnesse or in theirs that hold themselues blessed for their defect hereof If one should profer them an immortality of misery and tell them if they refused it they should become iust nothing and loose all beeing verily they would reioyce and choose an eternall misery before a millity of beeing This our common sence testifieth For why doe they feare to end their misery by death rather then continue it but that nature still wisheth to hold a beeing And therefore seeing they know they must dye they do make such great accoumpt of a long life in their misery ere they dye Wherein doubtlesse they shew how thankefull they will bee for immortality though it had not end of their misery And what of brute beasts that vnderstand not this from the Dragon to the worme Do they not shew their loue of being by auoyding death al waies possible The trees and plants that haue no sence of death nor meanes to auoyd it do they not put forth one sprig into the aire another c deeper into the earth whereby to attract nutriment and preserue their beeing Nay the very bodyes that 〈◊〉 neyther sence nor vegetation by their very motion vpwardes downewardes or middle suspension moue to the conseruation of their essence and nature Now then may bee gathered how much mans nature is beloued and loth to bee deceiued from hence that man had rather d lament in a sound minde then reiâ—… in folly Which power is in no mortal creature but man others haue sharper sights then wee yet not any can behold the incorporeall light which in some sort lightneth our mindes producing a true iudgement of all these thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wee are capable of it But though the vnreasonable creatures senâ—…â—…eine no knowledge yet some similitude of knowledge there is in them 〈◊〉 â—…er corporall creatures hauing no sence in themselues are but the obiâ—… of others sences therefore called sensible and the growth and power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the trees drawe nutriment this is like their sence But these and all othâ—…â—…porall bodies causes are hid in nature marry their formes in the diuerâ—… 〈◊〉 parts of the worlds structure are apparant to vs seemingly professing a 〈◊〉 be knowne since they could not know themselues but our bodily senâ—…â—…ge not of them though they apprehend them That is left vnto a farre 〈◊〉 â—…cellent interior sence discerning iust and vniust f iust by the intelliâ—…â—…rme vniust by
the priuation thereof The office of this sence neither the 〈◊〉 eare the smell the taste nor the touche can performe By this I know 〈◊〉 â—…ng and I know this knowledge and I loue them both and know that I 〈◊〉 both L. VIVES SO a naturally A Stoicall and Academicall disputation handled by Tully Offic. 1. de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stoically and De fin 5. Academically b For their Foolishnesse is the greatest 〈◊〉 â—…nd wisdome the good So held the Stoikes c Deeper A diuerse reading the text 〈◊〉 both d Antisthenes the first Cynickes choise His reason was because to reioyce in â—…d minde was base and cast downe the minde from the true state Socrates in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alcibiades that possessions with-out wisdome are not onely fruitlesse but hurtfull e â—…re It is not then our witte or toyle but GODS bountie that instructs vs in the 〈◊〉 â—…ourse of nature and sharpens the iudgement which bounty the good man attaining 〈◊〉 bad must needs bee wiser though lesse learned or popularly acute Therefore saith 〈◊〉 Into an euill soule wisdome will not come The same that Socrates said Onely good men 〈◊〉 f Iust by By a forme left in my minde by seeing iustice done and the due conâ—…â—…ing thereto which be it absent I conceiue what iniustice is by seeing the faire 〈◊〉 â—…ent harmony subuerted I build not vpon hurts violence iniuries or reproches 〈◊〉 no priuations but may be iustly done vpon due command of the magistrate or with â—…ent but vpon this I see the vertues decorum broken Forme is neither to bee taken â—…pes or abstracts of things reserued in the soule and called motions say some Well 〈◊〉 they either want witte or knowledge And because they cannot make them-selues 〈◊〉 by things really extant they must fetch their audiences eares vp to them by pursuing 〈◊〉 non entia this is our schoole-mens best trade now a dayes â—…ther we draw nearer to the image of the holy trinity in louing of that loue by which we loue to be and to know our being CHAP. 28. 〈◊〉 wee haue spoken as much as needeth here of the essence and knowledge 〈◊〉 much we ought to respect them in our selues and in other creatures vnâ—…â—…ough we finde a different similitude in them But whether the loue that 〈◊〉 â—…e them in be loued that is to declare It is loued wee prooue it because it iâ—…â—…d in all things that are iustly loued For hee is not worthily called a good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowes good but hee that loues it Why then may wee not loue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selues whereby wee loue that which is to bee loued They may both 〈◊〉 â—…e man and it is good for a man that his goodnesse increasing his â—…d decrease euen to the perfection of his cure and full change into 〈◊〉 for if wee were beasts wee should loue a carnall sensitiue life 〈◊〉 good would suffice our nature b without any further trouble if 〈◊〉 â—…ees wee should not indeede loue any thing by motion of sence yet should we seeme to affect fruitfulnesse and growth if wee were stones water winde fire or so we should want sence and life yet should we haue a naturall appetiâ—…e vnto our due c places for the d motions of weights are like the bodies loues go they vpward or downwards for weight is to the body as loue is to the â—…ule But because we are men made after our creators image whose eternity is true truth eternall charity true and eternall neither confounded nor seuered we runne through all things vnder vs which could not be created formed not ordered without the hand of the most essentiall wise and good God so through all the workes of the creation gathering from this e more playne and from that lesse apparant markes of his essence and beholding his image in our selues f like the prodigall childe wee recall our thoughts home and returne to him from whom we fell There our being shall haue no end our knowledge no error our loue no offence But as now though wee see these three sure trusting not to others but obseruing it our selues with our certaine interior sight yet because of our selues we cannot know how long they shall last when they shall end whither they shall goe doing well or euill therefore here we take other witnesses of the infallibity of whose credit wee will not dispute here but hereafter In this booke of the Citty of God that was neuer pilgrim but alwayes immortall in heauen being compounded of the Angels eternally coherent with God and neuer ceasing this coherence betweene whom and their darknesse namely those that forsooke him a seperation was made as we said at first by God now will wee by his grace proceede in our discourse already begun L. VIVES FOr that a is loue There is a will in vs arising from the corruption of the body which reason ruleth not as it doth the better will but it haleth it and traileth it to good it flyes all good properly and seeketh euills bodily delights and pleasures These two Paul calleth the law of the flesh the law of the spirit some-times flesh and spirit The first brutish foule hated of good men who when they can cannot expell it they compell and force it vnto Gods obedience otherwise it produceth a loue of things vnmeete b Without Either in this life or vnto our bodies c Places Or orders and formes of one nature the preseruation of which each thing desires for it selfe helping it selfe against externall violence if it bee not hindered d 〈◊〉 of this before the Latine word is momenta e More plaine Our reason plâ—…ceth an Image rather then a marke of God in vs. Man hath the sight of heauen and the knowledge of God bestowed vpon him whereas all other creatures are chained to the earth Wherfore the spirit ouer-looking the creation left his image in our erected nature in the rest whome hee did as it were put vnder foote hee left onely his markes Take this now as a figuratiue speech f Prâ—…digall Luc. 15. Of the Angels knowledge of the Trinity in the Deity and consequently of the causes of things in the Archetype ere they come to be effected in workes CHAP. 29. THese holy Angels learne not of God by sounds but by being present wiâ—… thâ—… â—…geable truth his onely begotten word himselfe and his holy spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of substantiall persons yet hold they not three Gods but one 〈◊〉 this thâ—…y a â—…ow plainer then we know our selues b The creatures also 〈◊〉 they know 〈◊〉 in the wisdome of God the worke-mans draught then in the thingâ—… produced and consequently them-selues in that better then in thâ—…-selues though â—…ing their knowledge in both for they were made are not of 〈◊〉 â—…nce that made them Therefore in him their knowledge is day in 〈◊〉 as we sayd twy-light But the knowledges of a thing by the means 〈◊〉 and the thing it selfe made are farre different c The vnderstanding 〈◊〉 a figure doth produce a perfecter
not exclude numbers from Gods knowledge Plato hauing so commended God for vsing them in the worlds creation and our Scripture saith of God Tâ—… 〈◊〉 ordered al things in measure number and weight and the Prophet saith He 〈◊〉 the world and the Gospell saith All the heires of your heads are numbred God forbid the that we should think yâ— he knoweth not number whose wisdome 〈◊〉 â—…standing is in numerably infinite as Dauid saith for the infinitenesse of 〈◊〉 â—…hough it bee beyond number is not vnknowne to him whose knowâ—… infinite Therefore if whatsoeuer bee knowne be comprehended in the 〈◊〉 that knowledge then is all infinitenesse bounded in the knowledge of 〈◊〉 â—…ecause his knowledge is infinite and because it is not vncomprehensiâ—… 〈◊〉 knowledge Wherefore if numbers infinitenesse bee not infinite vnâ—… knowledge nor cannot bee what are wee meane wretches that dare preâ—…â—…mit his knowledge or say that if this reuolution bee not admitted in 〈◊〉 renewing God cannot either fore-know althings ere hee made them 〈◊〉 them when hee made them whereas his wisdome beeing simply and â—…ly manifold can comprehend all incomprehensibility by his incomâ—…le comprehension so that whatsoeuer thing that is new and vnlike to all 〈◊〉 should please to make it could not bee new nor strange vnto him nor 〈◊〉 â—…ore-see it a little before but containe it in his eternall prescience L. VIVES 〈◊〉 Two men two horses or whatsoeuer make both one number I inquire not 〈◊〉 â—…hether the number and the thing numbred bee one or no the schooles ring of that â—…gh b Doth not The best reading Of the worlds without end or ages of ages CHAP. 19. 〈◊〉 doth so and that there is a continual connexion of those times which 〈◊〉 â—…lled Secula a seculorum ages of ages or worlds without end running 〈◊〉 indestinate difference onely the soules that are freed from misery reâ—…â—…ernally blessed or that these words Secula seculorum doe import the 〈◊〉 remayning firme in Gods wisdome and beeing the efficient cause of â—…ory world I dare not affirme The singular may bee an explication of 〈◊〉 as if wee should say Heauen of heauen for the Heauens of heauens â—…D calls the firmament aboue which the waters are Heauen in the sinâ—… 〈◊〉 and yet the Psalme saith and you waters that bee aboue the Heauens 〈◊〉 of the LORD Which of those two it be or whether Secula 〈◊〉 another meaning is a deepe question We may let it passe it belongs 〈◊〉 proposed theame but whether wee could define or but obserue 〈◊〉 discourse let vs not aduenture to affirme ought rashly in so obsâ—…â—…ouersie Now are wee in hand with the circulary persons that 〈◊〉 â—…ings round about till they become repaired But which of these opiniâ—… be true concerning these Secula seculorum it is nothing to these reuoâ—…â—…cause whether the worlds of worlds bee not the same revolued but oâ—…â—…uely depending on the former the freed soules remayning still 〈◊〉 â—…lesse blisse or whether the Worldes of worldes bee the formes 〈◊〉 â—…sitorie ages and ruling them as their subiects yet the circulariâ—…â—…o place heere how-soeuer The Saints b eternall life ouerthroweth 〈◊〉 L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a The scriptures often vse these two words both together Hierome in â—…p ad Gal. expounds them thus we 〈◊〉 saith he the difference betweene Seculum Seculum Secuâ—… and secula seculorum Seculuâ—… some-times a space of time some-times eternity the hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when it is written with the letter van before it it is eternity when otherwise it is 50. yeares or a Iubily And therefore the Hebrew seruant that loued his Maister for his wife and children had his care bored and was commanded to serue an age Seculum 50. yeares And the Moabites and Amonites enter not into the Church of God vntill the 15. generation and not vntill an age for the yeare of Iubily quit all hard conditions Some say that Seculum seculorum hath the same respect that Sanctu Sanctorum Caelum Caelorum the Heauens of heauens had or as the Works of workes or Song of songs That difference that the heauens had to those whose heauens they were and so the rest the holy aboue all holy the song excelling all songs c. So was secula seculorum the ages excelling all ages So they say that this present age includeth all from the worlds beginning vnto the iudgement And then they goe further and begin to graduate the ages past before and to come after it whether they were or shal be good or ill falling into such a forrest of questions as whole volumes haue beene written onely of this kinde b Eternall Returning no more to misery nor were that happy without certeynty of eternity nor eternall if death should end it Of that impious assertion that soules truely blessed shall haue diuers reuolutions into misery againe CHAP. 20. FOr what a Godly eares can endure to heare that after the passage of this life in such misery if I may call it a life b being rather so offensiue a death and yet c we loue it rather then that death that frees vs from it after so many intollerable mischieues ended all at length by true zeale and piety wee should be admitted to the sight of God and bee placed in the fruition and perticipation of that incorporeall light and vnchangeable immortall essence with loue of which we burne all vpon this condition to leaue it againe at length and bee re-infolded in mortall misery amongst the hellish immortalls where GOD is lost where truth is sought by hate where blessednesse is sought by vncleanesse and bee cast from all enioying of eternity truth or felicity and this not once but often being eternally reuolued by the course of the times from the first to the later and all this because by meanes of these circularities transforming vs and our false beaâ—…des in true miseries successiuely but yet eternally GOD might come to â—…ow his owne workes Whereas otherwise hee should neither bee able to rest from working not know ought that is infinite Who can heare or endure this Which were it true there were not onely more wit in concealing it but also 〈◊〉 speake my minde as I can more learning in not knowing it d for if wee shalbâ—…â—…ssed in not remembring them there e why doe wee agrauate our misery 〈◊〉 knowing them here But if wee must needs know them there yet let vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selues ignorant of them here to haue the happier expectation then the 〈◊〉 that wee shall attaine here expecting blessed eternity and there 〈◊〉 onely blisse but with assurance that it is but transitory But if they â—…y that no man can attaine this blisse vnlesse hee know the transitory reuolutions thereof ere hee leaue this life how then doe they confesse that the more one loues GOD the easilier shall hee attaine blisse and yet teach the way how 〈◊〉 â—…ll this louing affect 〈◊〉 will not but loue him lightly whome hee
both as humaine vanity not as diuine verity teacheth him indeed the a Plotonists are not so mad as the Manichees that hate the carnal body as the naturall cause of all mischiefe and yet make God the creator of all the elements parts and qualities that this visible world is composed of Yet the Platonists hold that these our mortall members do produce the affects of feare desire ioy and sorrow in our bodies from which foure perturbations as Tully calles them or passions as other translators giue them the whole inundation of mans enormities haue their source and spring If this be so why doth Aeneas in Virgill hearing by his father that the soules were to returne backe into bodies wunder at this opinion and cry out O pater anne aliquas ad caelum hinc ire putandum est Sublimes animas iterumque ad tarda reuerti Corpora quae lucis miseris tam dira cupido What father do you thinke the soules are taine To heauen and thence to this dull flesh returne What dire affect should vrge them to their paine Is this same dire affect as yet remayning in the soule being now quit from the carnall burden in such a commended purity doth hee not say they are purged from all bodily infection when as they desire to returne into the body againe if it were so then as it is most vaine to hold so that there were an eternall reuolution of the pollution and the purgation then can it not bee truely said that all vicious affects are the effects of the flesh for as this b noble speaker saith that dire affect which doth compell the soule being purged from all earthly c contagion 〈◊〉 desire the body againe is not of the body And therefore they confesse that all the soules ill affects arise not from the flesh as desire feare ioy and d sorrow but it may haue those passions of it selfe L. VIVES THe a Maniches They held all flesh the worke of the deuill not of GOD and therefore they forbad their hearers to kill any creatures least they should offend the Princes of darkenesse from whom they sayd all flesh had originall and if they vsed their wiues yet must they auoide generation least the diuine substance which goeth into them by their nourishment should bebound in the fleshly bonds of the child begotten Aug ad Quod vult deum The Prisciâ—…ianists held thus also b Noble speâ—…ker So he called Tully before and Virgil now c contagion Or habitacle d Sorrow Tullie calls it egritudo Tusc. 3. Of the quality of mans will vnto with all affections good and bad are subiect CHAP. 6. BVt the quality of mans will is of some moment for if it be bad so are all those motions if good they are both blamelesse and praise-worthy for there is a a will in them all nay they are all direct wills what is desire and ioy but a will b consenting to that which wee affect and what is feare and sorrow but a will contrary vnto what we like But when we consent to the desire of any thing that is desire and when wee consent in enioying any thing this is delight â—…o when wee dislike a thing and would not haue it come to passe this will is feare when we dislike it being come to passe this is griefe or sorrow And this according to the variety of the things desired and avoided as the will consents or dislikes so are our diuersity of passions Whereof a Man that maketh GOD aâ—…d noâ—… Man the steeres-man of his life ought to loue good and consequently to hate euill and because none is euill by nature but all by vice hee that liueth after Gods loue oweth his c full hate vnto the Euill not to hate the man for his vice nor to loue the vice for the man but hate the vice and loue the man for the vice being cured hee shall finde no obiect of his hate but all for his loue L. VIVES a A Will The Stoickes hold that onely to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Tully translates will when a thing is firmely and constantly desired therefore it is defined a desire of any thing with reason which is in a wise man only but that which is against reason is called a lust or an inordinate desire beeing resident in all fooles The Peripatetiques call both these wills the one good and the other badde the controuersie as I said else-where is but verball For the Stoickes call affects wills also nor skilleth it whether Will follow Naâ—…e or Reason for it is euer-more Will though that be properly called Will wherein is that freedome of election and is harbour to Vice or Vertue b Consenting To beleeue a thing to bee or not to bee is no consent or dissent but Knowledge Faith or Opinion Arist. in Analyt Posterior but to will or not to will in any thing that belongs to the will which perteineth to the minde and as it were appoints and decrees what is to be done or not done c Full hate Explayning that of the Psalme 139. 22. I hate them with a perfect hatred That amor and dilectio are of indifferent vse in the scriptures both for good and euill CHAP. 7. FOr hee that is resolued to loue GOD and his neighbor according vnto God and not Man for this loue is called a Man of a good will and this is called more commonly charity in the scriptures though some-times it bee called loue therein also For the Apostle will haue his magistrate to bee a louer of good And our LORD asking Peter thus Symon the sonne of Ionah louest thou me a more then these hee answered Lord b thou knowest that I loue thee hee asked him so againe and hee answered so againe then they asked him the third time by 〈◊〉 amo whereas he had vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligo in the other two onely to shew that diligere and amare were both one to loue as Peter had vsed the one in all the three questions This I thought worth recitall but some say c dilectio charity is one thing and amor loue another and that the first is d vsed in the good and the later in the badde But sure it is that the profane authors neuer vsed them so But let the Philosophers looke to their distinctions For their bookes vse amor loue in good senses and in reference to GOD most frequently But wee were to e shew that our scriptures whome wee place farre aboue their authorities doe not vse amor and dilectio with any such distinct difference for wee haue shewne that they vse amor in a good sence If any one thinke it is vsed both in good respect and bad and dilectio onely in the good let him looke in that of the Psalme Hee that loueth diligit iniquity hateth his owne soule here is diligo vpon a badde subiect And here the Apostle Iohn If any man loue Dilexerit the vvorld the loue dilectio of the Father is not
in him Behold here dilectio in one place in both the respects But if any one seeke to know whether amor be vsed in euill wee haue shewne it in good let him reade this Men shal be louers of themselues c. Louers of pleasures more then louers of GOD. For an vp right will is good loue and a peruerse will is badde loue Loue then desyring too enioy that it loueth is desire and enioying it is ioy flying what it hateth it is feare feeling it it is sorrow These are euills if the loue bee euill and good if it bee good What wee say let vs prooue by scripture The Apostle aesires to bee dissolued and to bee vvith Christ And My heart breaketh for the continuall desire I haue vnto thy iudgements f Or if this bee better My soule hath coueted to desire thy iudgements And desire of wisdome leadeth to the Kingdome yet custome hath made it a law that where concupiscentia or cupiditas is vsed without addition of the obiect it is euer taken in a badde sence But Ioy or Gladnesse the Psalme vseth well Bee glad in the LORD and reioyce you righteous and thou hast giuen gladnesse to mine heart and In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye Feare is also vsed by the Apostle in a good sence Worke out your saluation vvith feare and trembling and Be not high minded but feare and But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his suttlety so that your mindes should be corrupted from the chastity that is in Christ. But as for that sorrow which Tully had rather call g egritude and Virgill dolour where hee saith dolentque gaudentque yet h I had rather call it tristitia sadnesse because egritude and dolour are oftner vsed for bodily affects the question whether it be vsed in a good sence or no is fit to bee more curiously examined L. VIVES MOre a then these Then these doe to auoide ambiguity b Then knâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here translated diligo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amâ—… both to loue c Some Orig. hâ—… 1. 〈◊〉 Câ—… The scripture I thinke being carefull saith he to keepe the readers in the tract of true vnderstanding it for the capacity of the weaker called that Charity or Dilectio which they thinke wise men called loue d Is vsed The Latinists vse these two words farre other-wise â—…ing Diligo for a light loue and amo for a seruent one Dol obellam antea diligebam nunc 〈◊〉 â—…ith Tully and elsewher more plainely Clodius Tribu Pleb valde me diligit seu vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addam valde me amat I grant that amor is the meaner word and oftener vsed in obâ—…y then dilectio The same difference that the latines put betweene amo and diligo the same 〈◊〉 the Greekes put between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e To shew The places here cited prooue nothing vnlesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be both vsed in a good or an euil sence for the latine translation is the 〈◊〉 of the interpretor not of the author But perhaps he desired to shew it because he delt agâ—… Grecian namely Origen f Or if For so the 70. translated it Here begins he to shew that none of the foure affects are bad of them-selues g Egritude Tusc quaest 3. and 4. h I had rather Tully a Tusc. qu. 2. calleth bodily vexation dolor and Iusc 4. defendeth egritudo to be in the mind as egrotatio is in the body and affirmeth lib. 3. that it hath not any distinct name from sorrow Of the three passions that the Stoickes alow a wiseman excluding sadnesse as foe to a vertuous minde CHAP. 8. THose which the Greekes call a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Tully Constantiae the Stoickes make to be three according to the three perturbations in a wisemans mind â—…ng will for desire b ioy for exultation and warinesse for feare but insteed of â—…at egritude or dolour which wee to avoyd amphibology call sadnesse they â—…y that a wise mind can intertaine any thing for the will say they affecteth good which a wiseman effecteth ioy concerneth the good hee hath attayned 〈◊〉 warinesse avoideth that hee is to auoyd but seeing sadnesse ariseth from 〈◊〉 â—…ill cause already fallen out and no euill happineth to a wiseman thereâ—… wisdome admits nothing in place thereof Therefore say they none but â—…en can will reioyce and beware and none but fooles can couet exult 〈◊〉 â—…nd bee sad The first are the three constancies saith Tully and the later 〈◊〉 foure perturbations The Greekes as I said call the three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In c seeking the correspondency of this with the phrase of holy writ I found this of the prophet There is no c ioy saith the Lord vnto the â—…ed as if the wicked might rather exult then haue ioy in their mischiefes for â—…y is properly peculiar to the good and Godly That also in the gospell What soeuer yee would that men should dee vnto you euen so do yee to them this seemes to â—…imate that a man cannot will any euill thing but couet it by reason of which â—…ome of interpretation some translators added good What good soeuer c. for â—…y thought it fit for man to desire that men should do them no dishonesty and â—…rfore put in this least some should thinke that in their luxurious banquets to be silent in more obscene matters they shold fulfil this precept in doing to others as others did vnto them But e good is not in the originall the greeke but only as we read before What soeuer yee would c. for in saying yee would he meaneth good Hee sayd not whatsoeuer you coueâ—… yet must wee not alway tye our phrases to this strictnesse but take leaue at needfull occasions and when wee reade those that wee may not resist wee must conceiue them so as the true sence 〈◊〉 no other passage as for example sake in the savd places of the Prophet and the Apostle who knoweth not that the wicked exult in pleasure and yet there is no ioye saith the LORD to the wicked Why because ioye is properlie and strickly vsed in this place So may some say that precept Whatseouer 〈◊〉 vvould c. is not well deliuered they may pollute one another with vncleannesse or so Notwithstanding the commaunde is well giuen and is a most true and healthfull one Why because will which properly cannot bee vsed in euill is put in the most proper signification in this place But as for ordinary vsage of speech wee would not say Haue no vvill to tell any â—…e but that there is a badde will also distinct from that which the Angells praised saying f Peace in earth to men of good vvill Good were heere superfluous if that there were no will but good and howe coldlie had the Apostle praised charity in
shal be fulfilled which is written Death is swallowed vppe into victory They feare to offend and desire to perseuer they sorrow for sinne and reioyce in doing good they feare to sinne because for that iniquity shal be increased the loue of many shal bee cold they desire to perseuer because He that endureth to the end shal be saued they sorrow for sin because If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs they reioyce in good workes for GOD loueth a cheerefull giuer And as they are strong or weake so doe they desire or feare to bee tempted reioycing or sorrowing in temptations they feare to bee tempted for If any man fall into a falt by any occasion yee which are spirituall restore such an one with the spirit of meekâ—…nesse considering thy selfe also least thou bee tempted they desire to bee tempted for Prooue mee O LORD and trie mee examine my reines and mine heart said Dauid They sorrow in temptations for they heare how Peter wept they reioyce in them for Brethren count it exceeding ioye when yee fall into diuers temptations saith Iames. And they doe not feele affects for themselues onely but for others also whom they desire should bee freed and feare least they perish sorrowing at their fall and reioycing at their deliuerance for if wee that are come from a Paganisme to Christianity may giue an especiall instance in that worthy and dauntlesse man that boasted of his infirmities that teacher of fayth and truth to the nations that toyler aboue all his fellow Apostles that edifier of Gods people by sermons beeing present and by more Epistles then they all beeing absent that blessed Man Paul I meane CHRISTS Champion b taught by him c anointed from him d crucified with him e glorified in him f in the Theater of this World where hee was made a spectacle to GOD Angells and Men fighting a g lawfull and h great fight and following hard towardes the i marke for the k prize of the high calling How gladlie doe wee with the eyes of fayth behold him weepe with them that weepe and reioyce with them that reioyce l fightings without and terrours within desyring to bee dissolued and to be vvith CHRIST desyring to see the Romaines and to receiue fruite from them as well as the others beeing iealous ouer the Corinthians and fearing least their mindes should be corrupted from the chastity vvith is in CHRIST hauing great sadnesse and continuall sorrow of heart for Israell that beeing ignorant in GODS iustice would erect one of their owne and not bee subiect vnto gods and denouncing his lamentation for diuers that had not repenâ—…d them of their fornication and vncleanesse If these affects arising from the loue of good bee vicious then let true vices bee called vertues But seeing their vse is leuelled by the rule of reason who dare call them fraile or imperfect passions of the minde Our LORD himselfe lyuing in the forme of a seruant yet without sinne vsed them when hee thought it requisite for wee may not thinke that hauing mans essentiall bodie and soule hee had but seeming affectes And therefore his sorrow for Ierusalems hardnesse of heart his ioy for the beleeuers his teares for Lazarous his desire to eate the Passeouer with his disciples and his deadly heauinesse of soule vpon the approach of his passion these are no fained narrations But these affects of man hee felt when it pleased him as hee was made man when it pleased him Wherefore wee confesse that those affects in their best kinde are but pertinent to this present life not vnto that which wee hope for heereafter and that wee are often ouer-pressed by them a laudable desire or charity may mooue vs m yet shall wee weepe whether wee will or no. For wee haue them by our humaine infirmity but so had not CHRIST n for hee had his very infirmity it selfe from his owne power But as long as wee liue in this infirmity wee shall liue worse if wee want those affects For the Apostle dispraiseth and detests o such as want naturall affect And so doth the Psalme saying I looked for some to pitty mee and there was none For to want the sence of sorrow in this mortall life as a p great scholler held neuer be-falls a man without great stupidity of bodie and barbarisme of minde q Therefore the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or impassibility beeing meant of the minde and not the bodie if it bee vnderstood as a want of those perturbations onely which disturbe the minde and resist reason it is to bee defended and desired For the Godly wise and holy men not ordinary ranglers say all directly if wee say that wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. But if a man had this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meant as before hee had no sinne indeed in him But it is well if wee can liue heere without r crime but hee that thinkes hee liues without sinne doth not avoide sinne but rather excludes all pardon But now if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee an vtter abandoning of all mentall affects whatsoeuer who will not say such a stupidity is not worse then sinne Wee may fitly say indeede that true happinesse shal be vtterly voide of feare and sorrow but who can say it shal be voide of loue and ioy but hee that professeth to oppose the truth but if this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee a freedome from feare and sorrow wee must not ayme at it in this life if wee meane to liue after the lawe of GOD. But in the other promised life of eternity s all feare shal bee excluded from vs. For that feare whereof the Apostle Iohn saith There is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth 〈◊〉 feare and hee that feareth is not perfect in loue is not that kinde of feare whereof the Apostle Paul feared the fall of the Corinthians for loue hath this feare in it and nothing hath it but loue but the other feare is not in loue whereof the same Apostle Paul saith for yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe But that chaste feare remayning world without ende if it bee in the world to come and howe else can it remaine worlde without ende shal bee no feare terrifying vs from euill but a feare keeping vs in an inseperable good For where the good attained is vnchangeably loued there is the feare to loose it inseperably cheined For by this chaste feare is meant the will that wee must necssarily haue to avoide sinne not with an vngrounded carefulnesse least wee should sinne but beeing founded in the peace of loue to beware of sinne But if that firme and eternall security be acquit of all feare and conceiue onely the fulnesse of ioy then the feare of Lorde is pure and indureth for euer is meant as that other place is The pacience of the
this 〈◊〉 was found to be true and m not counterfeite in him in that he lay still without any breathing yet hee saâ—…d afterward that if one spake aloude hee thought he heard him as if hee were a sarre off Seeing therefore that in this 〈◊〉 of ours the body serueth the will in such extraordinary affects why should we not beleeue that before his disobedience the first man might haue had his meanes and members of generation without lust But hee taking delight in himselfe was left by God vnto himselfe and therefore could not obey himselfe because hee would not obey GOD. And this prooues his misery the plainer in that he cannot liue as he would for if he would doe so he might thinke himselfe â—…ppy n yet liuing in obscenity he should not be so indeed L. VIVES THâ—… a lungs The marrowe is not vsually taken for any part of the intrailes It is obserued that Tully and the most learned Latinists vse Pulmo continually in the plurall number I 〈◊〉 it is because it is parted into two fillets or lappets but Celsus Persius and Lactantius 〈◊〉 it in the singular b To take in For there goeth a pipe from the lungs into the mouth calâ—… Asâ—…ra arteria by Celsus and Gurgulio by Lactantius the weasand-pipe and through this 〈◊〉 breath goeth in and out for that is the proper function thereof Arist. Histor. animall lib. 〈◊〉 c There are Aristotle saith that man only of all creatures cannot moue his eares that is he 〈◊〉 moue theÌ„ voluntarily as horses c. do d There are that Plutarch talks of one Parmeâ—…â—…t â—…t could imitate the voices of all creatures rarely wheÌ„ce the prouerb Nihil ad Parmenonis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e There are that can break There was such an one a Germane about Maximilians 〈◊〉 â—…d his son Phillips that would haue rehearsed any verse whatsoeuer with his taile f 〈◊〉 And when I was sicke of a Tertian at Bruges as often as the Phisitian told me that it was gooâ—… to sweate I would but hold my breath a little and couer my selfe ouer head in the 〈◊〉 and I sweat presently They that saw it wondred at my strange constitution but they would haâ—…e wondred more had they seene Augustines sweater that sweat as easily as I can spit g Some The hired mourners in Italy and almost all women-kinde h Tried of late Such like hath Pliny of one Hermotimus of Clazomene whose soule would leaue his bodie and goe into same countries and then come backe and tell what hee had seene i Uillage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a neighbor-hood a dwelling togither They that dwell in diuers hemispheres vnder one paralell are called Paraeci But Parochia is an other matter and vsed now for a parish Augustine meant of the other l Calaman Calamisus was a towne in Italy Calamo was in Phaenicia and that I thinke Augustine meant of vnlesse there were some village in Africa called so as being buâ—… by the Phenicians who once possessed almost al Africa l At the feigned Some feigned mourning wherevpon his phantasie tooke the conceite and produced the rapture or he fained such a sound himselfe and so put of his externall sences thereby m Not counterfeite Hee did not oppose himselfe wittingly to those punishings and burnings but was senselesse of them indeed n Yet liuing Felicity is not in opinion but really solid not in shade or imagination but in esse and truth Nor was that noble Argiue happy who as Horace saith thought he had seene fiue tragedies acted In vacuo solus sessor plausorque Theatro Aplauding loud when none were on the stage Of the true beatitude vnattainable in this life CHAP. 25. BVt if wee obserue aright none liues as hee list but hee is happy and none is happy but he is iust yet the iust liueth not as he list vntil he attaine that sure eternall hurtlesse vndeceiuing state That he naturally desireth nor can hee bâ—…e perfect vntill he haue his desire But what man herevpon earth can say hee liues as he list when his life is not in his owne hand he would liue faine and hee must die How then liueth he as he list that liueth not as long as he list But if he list to die how can he liue as he list that will not liue at all and if he desire to die not forgoe all life but to change it for a better then liueth hee not yet as he list but attaineth that by dying But admit this he liueth as he list because hee hath forced himselfe and brought himselfe to this to desire nothing but what is in his power as Terence saith a Since you cannot haue what you would haue desire thâ—… which you may haue Yet is he not blessed because hee is a patient wretch For beatitude is not attained vnlesse it be affected And if it be both attained and affected then must this affect needes surmount all other because all other things are affected for this And if this be loued as it ought to be for he that loues not beatitude as it ought to bee loued cannot bee happy then cannot it choose but bee desired to be eternall So that the blessed life must needs be ioyned with eteâ—… L. VIVES SIâ—…ce a you This was an old saying Plato de rep That our first parents in Paradise might haue produced man-kinde without any shamefull appetite CHAP. 26. THerefore man liued in Paradise as hee desired whilest he desired but 〈◊〉 God commanded hee inioyed God from whence was his good hee liued without need and had life eternall in his power hee had meat for hunger drinke for thirst the tree of life to keepe off age hee was free of all bodily corruption and sensible molestation hee feared neither disease within nor violence without Hight of health was in his flesh and fulnesse of peace in his soule and as Paradise was neither firy nor frosty no more was the inhabitants good will offended either with desire or feare there was no true sorrow nor vaine ioye their ioy continued by Gods mercy whom they loued with a pure good conscience and an vnfained faith their wedlock loue was holy and honest their vigilance and custody of the precept without all toile or trouble They were neither weary of leasure nor vnwillingly sleepy And can wee not in all this happinesse suppose that they might beget their children without lust and mooue those members without concupiscentiall affect the man a beeing laid in his wiues lap b without corruption of integrity God forbid Want of experience need not driue vs from beleeuing that their generatiue parts might be mooued by will onely without exorbitance of hotter affect that the sperme of the man might be conueid into the place of conception without corruption of the instrument receiuing as well as a virgine now doth giue forth her c menstruous fluxe without breach of virginity That might be cast in as this is cast forth For as their child birth should
not haue beene fore-run by paine but by d maturity which should open a way for the childe without torment so should their copulation haue beene performed without lust full appetite onely by voluntary vse This theame is immodest and therefore let vs coniecture as wee can how the first Parents of man were ere they were ashamed needes must our discourse herevpon rather yeeld to shamefastnesse then trust to eloquence the one restraines vs much and the other helpes vs little For seeing they that might haue tried did not trie this that I 〈◊〉 sayd deseruing by sinne to bee expelled Parradise ere they had vsed 〈◊〉 meanes of propagating man how can man now conceiue it should be done 〈◊〉 by the meanes of that head-long lust not by any quiet will This is that 〈◊〉 stops my mouth though I behold the reason in mine heart But howsoâ—… Almighty God the Creator of all nature the helper and rewarder of all good wills the iust condemner of the badde and the ordainer of both wanted not a prescience how to fulfill the number of those whom he had destinate to bee of his cittie euen out of the condemned progeny of man distinguishing them not by their merrits for the whole fruite was condemned in the corrupted 〈◊〉 but by his owne grace freeing them both from themselues and the slauish 〈◊〉 and showing them what â—…ee bestowed on them for each one now acâ—…ledgeth that it is not his owne deserts but Gods goodnesse that hath freed 〈◊〉 from euill and from their society with whom hee should haue shared a iust â—…nation Why then might not God create such as he knew would sinne â—…ereby to shew in them and their progeny both what sinne deserued and what 〈◊〉 mercy bestowed and that the peruerse inordinate offence of them vnder 〈◊〉 could not peruert the right order which he had resolued L. VIVES 〈◊〉 a laid So saith Uirgil of Uulcan and Uenus Aeneid 8. Optatos dedit amplexus placidâ—…sque petiuit Coniugis effusus gremio per membra soporem Embracing me soft slumber on him crept And in her lap he laid him downe and slept b Without corruption Therefore should the place of conception bee opened saith Tâ—…mas and Bonauenture for that must needes haue beene opened in child-birth for bodies doe not penetrate one another And this were no breach of integrity no more then opening of the mouth For the integrity depends vpon the minde Some hold that the â—…atrix should haue opened at birth but keepe shut at copulation as it doth in the effusion of the menstruall bloud and these hold with Augustine c Menstruous It beginnes in them when 〈◊〉 breasts begin to grow bigge about the twelfth yeare of their age it is like the bloud of a beast new killed and happeneth once a month more or lesse in some much and in some small Arist. Hist. animal lib. 7. d Maturity Which as yet at child-birth extendeth and openeth the bones of the lower part of the belly which at any other time can hardly bee cleft open with an hatchet but then it should haue beene opened without paine where as now the paine is extreame That the Sinners Angells and Men cannot vvith their peruesnesse disturbe Gods prouidence CHAP. 27. ANd therefore the offending Angells and Men no way hindred the great workes of God who is absolute in all that hee willeth his omnipotency dâ—…tributeth all vnto all and knoweth how to make vse both of good and bad and therefore why might not God vsing the euill angell whom hee had deseruedâ—…y condemned for his euill will and cast from all good vnto a good end permit him to tempt the first man in whom hee had placed an vpright will and who was so estated that if he would build vpon Gods helpe a good man should conquer an euill angell but if he fell proudly from God to delight in himselfe hee should be conquered hauing a reward laid vp for his vprightnesse of will assisted by God and a punishment for his peruersnesse of will in forsaking of God Trust vpon Gods helpe he could not vnlesse God helped him yet followeth it not that hee had no power of himselfe to leaue this diuine helpe in relying wholy vpon himselfe for all wee cannot liue in the flesh without nourishment yet may wee leaue the flesh when we list as they doe that kill themselues euen so man being in Paradise could not liue well without Gods helpe but yet it was in his power to liue badly and to select a false beatitude and a sure misery Why then might not God that knew this before hand permit him to bee tempted by the malicious wicked spirit Not being ignorant that hee would fall but knowing withall how doubly the deuill should bee ouerthrowne by those that his grace should select out of mans posterity Thus God neither was ignorant of the future euent neither compelled he any one to offend but shewed by succeeding experience both to Men and Angells what difference there was betweene presuming of ones selfe and trusting vnto him For who dare say or think that God could not haue kept both Men and Angells from falling But he would not take it out of their powers bâ—… shewed thereby the badnesse of their pride and the goodnes of his owne grace The state of the Two Citties the Heauenly and the Earthly CHAP. 28. TWo loues therefore haue giuen originall to these tvvo Citties selfe loueâ—… contempt of God vnto the earthly loue of God in contempt of ones selfe to the heauenly the first seeketh the glory of men and the later desireth God onely as the testimony of the conscience the greatest glory That glories in it selfe and this in God That eâ—…alteth it self in the own glory this saith to God My glory and the lifter vp of my head That boasteth of the ambitious conquerours led by the lust of souereinty in this euery one serueth other in charity both the a rulers in counselling and the subiects in obeying That loueth worldly vertue in the potentates this saith vnto God I will loue thee O LORD my strength And the wise men of that follow either the goods of the body or minde or both liuing according to the flesh and such as might know God honored him not as GOD nor were thankfull but became vaine in their owne imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened for holding themselues wise that is extolling themselues proudly in their wisdome they became fooles changing the glory of the incorruptible God to the likenesse of the image of a corruptible Man and of birds and foure-footed beasts and serpents for b they were the peoples guides or followers vnto all those Idolatries and serued the creature rather then the Creator who is blessed for euer But in this other this heauenly Cittie c there is no wisdome of man but only the piety that serueth the true God and expecteth a reward in the society of the holy Angells and Men that God may become all in
generation is drawne out along to the deluge from the naming of his sonne Enoch who was named before all his other posterity and yet when Seths sonne Enos is borne the author doth not proceede downward to the floud but goeth back to Adam in this manner This is the booke of the generation of Adam In the day that God created Adam in the likenesse of God made he him male and female created he them and blessed them and called their name Adam that day that they were created This I hold is interposed to goe back to Adam from him to reckon the times which the author would not doe in his description of the Earthly Citie as also God remembred that without respecting the accompt But why returnes hee to this recapiâ—…ulation after hee hath named the a righteous sonne of Seth who hoped to call vpon the name of the Lord but that hee will lay downe the two Cittiâ—…s in this manner one by an homicide vntill hee come to an homicide for Lamech confesseth vnto his two wiues that hee had beene an homicide and the other by him that hoped to call vpon the name of the Lord. For the principall businesse that Gods Cittie hath in 〈◊〉 pilgrimaâ—… vpon earth is that which was commended in that one man who was appointed a seede for him that was slaine For in him onely was the vnity of the supernall Cittie not really complete mystically comprized â—…herefore the sonne of Caine the sonne of possession what shall hee haue but the name of the Earthly Cittie on earth which was built in his name Hereof sings the Psalmist b They haue called their lands by their names wherevpon that followeth which hee saith else-where Lord thou shalt desperse their image to nothing in thy Cittie But let the sonne of the resurrection Seths sonne hope to call vpon the Lorâ—…s name for hee is a type of that society that saith I shall bee â—…ke a fruitfull Oliue in the house of God for I trusted in his mercy And let him not seeke vaine-glorie vpon earth for Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and regardeth not vanity and false fondnesse Thus the two Citties are described to be seated the one in worldly possession 〈◊〉 other in heauenly hope both comming out at the common gate of mortality which was opened in Adam out of whose condemned progenie as out of a putrified lumpe God elected some vessels of mercy and some of wrath giuing due paines vnto the one and vndue grace vnto the other that the cittizens of God vpon earth may take this lesson from those vessels of wrath neuer to d relie on their owne election but hope to call vpon the name of the Lord because the naturall will which God made but yet heere the changelesse made it not changlesse may both decline from him that is good and from all good to do euill and that by freedom of will and from euill also to doe good but that not with-out Gods assistance L. VIVES THat a righteous Enos Seths sonne interpreted man b They haue This is the truest reading and nearest to the Hebrew though both the seauenty and Hierom read it otherwise c Giuing To shew Gods iust punishment of the wicked and his free sauing of the chosen d Relye on their As Pelagius would haue men to doe Of the fall of the sonnes of God by louing strange women whereby all but eight perished CHAP 22. THis freedome of will increasing and pertaking with iniquity produced a confused comixtion of both Citties and this mischiefe arose from woman also but not as the first did For the women now did not seduce men to sinne but the daughters that had beene of the Earthly Cittie from the beginning and of euill conditions were beloued of the cittizens of God for their bodily beauty which is indeed a gift of God but giuen to the euill also least the good should imagine it of any such great worth Thus was the greatest good onely perteyning to the good left and a declination made vnto the least good that is common to the bad also and thus the sonnes of God were taken with the loue of the daughters of men and for their sakes fell into society of the earthly leauing the piety that the holy society practised And thus was carnall beauty a gift of good indeed but yet a temporall base and transitory one sinne-fully elected and loued before God that eternall internall and sempiternall good iust as the couetous man forsaketh iustice and loueth golde the golde â—…eeing not in fault but the man euen so is it in all other creatures They are all good and may bee loued well or badly well when our loue is moderate badly when it is inordinate as b one wrote in praise of the Creator Haec â—…ua sunt bona sunt quia tu bonus ista creasti Nil nostrum est in eis nisi quod peccamus amantes Ordine neglecto pro te quod conditur abs te Those are thy goods for thou chiefe good didst make them Not ours yet seeke we them in steed of thee Peruerse affect in forcing vs mistake them But we loue the Creator truly that is if he be beloued for him-selfe and nothing that is not of his essence beloued for of him we caÌ„not loue any thing amisse For that very loue where-by we loue that is to be loued is it selfe to be moderately loud in our selues as beeing a vertue directing vs in honest courses And tâ—…ore I thinke that the best and briefest definition of vertue be this It is c aâ—…â—…der of loue for which Christs spouse the Citty of God saith in the holy canâ—… Hee hath ordered his loue in mee This order of loue did the sonnes of God 〈◊〉 neglecting him and running after the daughters of men in which two â—…s both the Citties are fully distinguished for they were the sonnes of men by â—…ure but grace had giuen them a new stile For in the same Scripture 〈◊〉 it is sayd that The sonnes of God loued the daughters of men they are also called the Angels of GOD. Where-vpon some thought them to bee Angels and â—…ot men that did thus L. VIVES Wâ—…ch a is indeed Homer Iliad 3. b One wrote Some read as I wrote once in praise of a tâ—…per I know not which to approoue c An order That nothing bee loued but 〈◊〉 which ought to be loued as it ought and as much as it ought So doth Plato graduate the â—…easonable and mentall loue d Hee hath ordered This saith Origen is that which our Sâ—…r saith Thou shalt loue thy Lord with all thine heart with all thy soule with all thy minde 〈◊〉 â—…th all thy strength And thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe but not with all thinâ—… 〈◊〉 and loue thine enemies he saith not as thy selfe nor withall thine heart but holds it â—…nt to loue them at all In Cantic Whether it be credible that the Angels being of an incorpore
farre beyond our ayme if I should heere stand to referre all the propheâ—… Salomons three true bookes that are in the Hebrew Canon vnto the truth 〈◊〉 Christ and his church Although that that of the Prouerbs in the persons of the wicked Let vs lay waite for the iust without a cause and swallow them vppe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that goe downe into the pit let vs raze his memory from earth and take 〈◊〉 his ritch possession this may easily and in few wordes bee reduced vnto CHRIST and his church for such a saying haue the wicked husbandmen in his euangelicall Parable This is the heire come let vs kill him and take his â—…tance In the same booke likewise that which wee touched at before â—…g of the barren that brought forth seauen cannot bee meant but of 〈◊〉 church of CHRIST and himselfe as those doe easilie apprehend 〈◊〉 snow CHRIST to bee called the wisdome of his father the wordes are Wisdome hath built her an house and hath hewen out her seauen pillers she hâ—…th killed her victualls drawne her owne wine and prepared her table Shee hath sent forth her maidens to crie from the higths saying He that is simple come hether to me and to the weake witted she saith Come and eate of my bread and drink of the wine that I haue drawne Here wee see that Gods wisdome the coeternall Word built him an house of humanity in a Virgins wombe and vnto this head hath annexed the church as the members hath killed the victuailes that is sacrificed the Mattires and prepared the table with bread and wine there is the sacrifice of Melchisedech hath called the simple and the weake witted for GOD saith the Apostle hath chosen the weakenesse of the world to confound the strength by To whom notwithstanding is said as followeth forsake your foolishnesse that yee may liue and seeke wisdome that yee may haue life The participation of that table is the beginning of life for in Eccelasiastes where hee sayth It is good e for man to eate and drinke we cannot vnderstand it better then of the perticipation of that table which our Melchisedechian Priest instituted for vs the New Testament For that sacrifice succeeded all the Old Testament sacrifices that were but shadowes of the future good as we heare our Sauiour speake prophetically in the fortieth psalme saying Sacrifice and offring thou dist not desire but a body hast thou perfited for me for his body is offered and sacrificed now insteed of all other offrings and sacrifices For Ecclesiastes meaneth not of carnall eating and drinking in those wordes that he repeateth so often as that one place sheweth sufficiently saying It is better to goe into the house of mourning then of feasting and by and by after the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of feasting But there is one place in this booke of chiefe note concerning the two Citties and their two Kings Christ and the deuill Woe to the land whose King is a child and whose Princes eate in the morning Blessed art thou O land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eate in due time for strength and not for drunkennesse Here he calleth the deuill a child for his foolishnesse pride rashnesse petulance and other vices incident to the age of boyish youthes But Christ he calleth the sonne of the Nobles to wit of the Patriarches of that holy and free Citty for from them came his humanity The Princes of the former eate in the morning before their houre expecting not the true time of felicity but wil hurry vnto the worlds delights head-long but they of the Citty of Christ expect their future beatitude with pacience This is for strength for their hopes neuer faile them Hope saith Saint Paul shameth no man All that hope in thee saith the psalme shall not be ashamed Now for the Canticles it is a certaine spirituall and holy delight in the mariage of the King and Queene of this citty that is Christ and the church But this is all in mysticall figures to inflame vs the more to search the truth and to delight the more in finding the appearance of that bridegrome to whom it is sayd there truth hath loued thee and of that bride that receiueth this word loue is in thy delights I ommit many things with silence to draw the worke towards an end L. VIVES HE a beganne well Augustine imitateth Salust In Bello Catil b Workes namely Iosephus affirmeth that he wrote many more viz. fiue thousand bookes of songs and harmonies three thousand of Prouerbs and Parables for hee made a parable of euery plant from the Isope to the Cedar and so did he of the beasts birds and fishes he knew the depth of nature and discoursed of it all God taught him bands exterminations and Amulets against the deuill 〈◊〉 the good of man and cures for those that were bewitched Thus saith Iosephus c Wisdome Some say that Philo Iudaeus who liued in the Apostles time made this booke He was the Apostles friend and so eloquent in the Greeke that it was a prouerbe Philo either Platonized 〈◊〉 Plato Philonized d Ecclesiasticus Written by Iesus the sonne of Syrach in the time of 〈◊〉 Euergetes King of Egipt and of Symon the high priest e For man to eate The Seauenty and vulgar differ a little here but it is of no moment Of the Kings of Israel and Iudah after Salomon CHAP. 21. VVE finde few prophecies of any of the Hebrew Kings after Salomon pertinent vnto Christ or the church either of Iudah or Israel For so were the two parts termed into which the kingdome after Salomons death was diuided for his sinnes and in his sonne Roboams time the ten Tribes that Ieroboam Salomons seruant attained beeing vnder Samaria was called properly Israel although the whole nation went vnder that name the two other Iudah and Beniamin which remained vnder Ierusalem least Dauids stocke should haue vtterly failed were called Iudah of which tribe Dauid was But Beniamin stuck vnto it because Saul who was of that tribe had reigned there the next before Dauid these two as I say were called Iudah and so distinguished from Israell vnder which the other ten tribes remained subiect for the tribe of Leui beeing the Seminary of Gods Priests was freed from both and made the thirteenth tribe Iosephs tribe being diuided into Ephraim and Manasses into two tribes whereas all the other tribes make but single ones a peece But yet the tribe of Leui was most properly vnder Ierusalem because of the temple wherein they serued Vpon this diuision Roboan King of Iudah Salomons sonne reigned in Ierusalem and Hieroboam King of Israel whilom seruant to Salomon in Samaria And whereas Roboaâ—… vould haue made warres vpon them for falling from him the Prophet forbad him from the Lord saying That it was the Lords deed So then that
peeces saith Higin lib. 2. and 〈◊〉 harpe placed in Heauen with the belly towards the circle Arcticke Aristotle saith there was no such man Others say he was of Crotone and â—…d in Pysiâ—…tratus his time the Tyran of Athens Author Argonautic Linus was sonne to Mercury and Vrania Hermodâ—… Apollos sonne saith Virgill Hee first inuented musike in Greece Diod. Hee taught Hercules on the Harpe who being duâ—…le and there-vpon often chiden and some-times striken by Linus one time vp with his harpe and knockt out his maisters braynes Some say hee was slayne with one of Apolloes shaftes Suidas reckneth three Musaei One borne at Eleusis sonne to Antipheâ—…s and scholler to Orpheus hee wrot ethiâ—…e verses vnto Eumolpus Another a Theban sonne to Thamyras Hee wrot himnes and odes before the warres of Troy A third farre latter An Ephesian in the time of Eumenes and Attalus Kings hee wrot the â—…faires of the Troyans It is commonly held that hee that was Orpheus scholler was sonne to 〈◊〉 Lâ—…s sayth he wrot the genealogyes of the Athenian gods inuented the sphere and held one originall of all things vnto which they all returned Hee dyed at Phalâ—… in Attica as his epitaph mentioneth they say hee was Maister of the Eleusine ceremonies when Hercules was admitted to them Some as I said before held that the Greekes called Moyses 〈◊〉 vnlesse Eusebius bee herein corrupted b Ruling of the infernall Because held to goe into hell and returne safe and to mollifie the destenies and make the furies weepe Oâ—… Mâ—… 10. This prooued him powerfull in Hell c The wife Shee seeing her husband loue an Actolian maid shee had called Antiphera fell in loue her-selfe with her sonne 〈◊〉 And therefore no seruant may come in her temple The crier of the sacrifices vsed to cry A way 〈◊〉 and Aâ—…lians man and woman At Rome the Matrons led one maid seruant onely into Matâ—…tas Temple and 〈◊〉 they beâ—… 〈◊〉 Pâ—… Prob. Inâ—… and Melicerta being drowned had their names changed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and Matuta in Latine Melicerteâ—… to Palaemon in Greeke and Porâ—…â—…n â—…n Latine quasi Deus portuum the God of hauens His temple was on the wharâ—…e of 〈◊〉 his feasts called Portumalia Varro In honour of him the Corinthians ordained the 〈◊〉 games Pausan. d Castor and Pollux Iupiter in the shape of a Swan commanding 〈◊〉 â—…o pursue him in the shape of an Eagle flew into Laedas lappe who tooke him and kept 〈◊〉 shee being a sleepe he got her with egge of which came Castor Pollux and Helena 〈◊〉 she laid two egges Hor. Art Poet. and that Hellen and Clytemnestrâ—… came of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say that Helen onely and Pollux were the immortall births of the egge but 〈◊〉 was mortall and begotten by Tyndarus Isocrates saith that Hellen was thought 〈◊〉 the Swannes begetting because shee had a long and a white neck They were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Tyndaridae because they were supposed the children of Tyndarus 〈◊〉 â—…sband and sonne vnto Oebalus and not of Ioue Yet is a Swanne placed in heauen â—…ment of this holy acte forsooth and Castor and Pollux are the signe Gemini which 〈◊〉 by course because saith Homer Castor and Pollux endeuouring to take away 〈◊〉 of Lincus and Idas Idas after a long fight killed Castor and would haue killed 〈◊〉 but that Iupiter sent him sudden helpe and made him invulnerable So Pollux 〈◊〉 Ioue that his brother might haue halfe of his immortality and Ioue granted it Castor 〈◊〉 good horse-man and Pollux a wrastler They were called Dioscuri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is â—…nnes Homer saith they were buried in Lacedaemon they were held to bee good for 〈◊〉 and they appeared like two starres because they being in the Argonautes voyâ—…â—…pest arose where-vpon all were terribly afraide sauing Orpheus who cheered them 〈◊〉 hauing prayde to the Samothracian gods the tempest immediately began to calme 〈◊〉 appearing vpon the heads of Castor and Pollux which miracle gladded them all 〈◊〉 them thinke that the gods had freed them and so it grew to a custome to implore 〈◊〉 â—…f those two who when both appeared were a good signe but neuer when they 〈◊〉 But the Romanes called their temple most commonly Castors temple wherein 〈◊〉 â—…yther ir-religious or Castor vngratefull who beeing made immortall by his 〈◊〉 â—…nes would take all the glory and honour vnto him-selfe who had beene forâ—… leâ—…t in obscurity but for the other But Pollux was cause of this for hee obteyâ—… should shine one day and another another day was cause that they could neuer 〈◊〉 â—…others company The ruine of the Argiue kingdome Picus Saturnes sonne succeeding him in Laurentum CHAP. 15. 〈◊〉 was the Argiue kingdome translated a to Mycaenae where b Aâ—… â—…on ruled and then c arose the kingdome of the Laurentines 〈◊〉 Picus Saturnes sonne was the first successor in e Delborah a woâ—…â—…ng Iudgesse of the Iewes GODS spirit indeed iudged in her for 〈◊〉 a Prophetesse her f prophecie is too obscure to drawe vnto 〈◊〉 with-out a long discourse And now had the Laurentines had a 〈◊〉 in Italy g from whence after their discent from Greece the Roâ—… pedegree is drawne Still the Assyrian Monarchy kept vp Lamparesâ—…ith â—…ith King ruling there now when Picus began his kingdome in Lauâ—… His father Saturne the Pagans say was no man let the Pagans looke 〈◊〉 some of them haue written that hee was and that hee was h King â—…ore his sonne Picus Aske these verses of Virgill and they will tell 〈◊〉 â—…id 8. Is genus indocile ac dispersum montibus altis Composuit legesque dedit latiumque vocari Maluit his quoniam latuisset tutus in oris Aureà que vt perhibent illo sub rege fuêre Secula Th'vndocill sort on Mountaines high disperst He did compose and gaue them lawes and first Would call it Latium when he latent lay In whose raigne was the golden age men say Tush but these they say are fictions l Sterces was Saturnes father hee that inuented m manuring of the ground with dung which of him was called Stercus Some say they called him Stercutius Well howsoeuer hee gotte the name of Saturne hee was the same Sterces or Stercutius whome they deified for his husbandry And Pyrus his sonne was deified after him also n a cunning sooth-sayer and o a great soldier as they report him to bee Hee begotte p Faunus the second King of Laurentum and hee was made a Syluane god All these men were deified before the Troyan warre L. VIVES TRanslated a vnto Mycaenae Pausanias his wordes here-vppon All know the villany of Danaus daughters vpon their cousine Germaines and how Lynceus succeeded Danaus in the Kingdome who dying Abas his sonnes diuided the Kingdome amongst them Acrisius had Argoes Praetus Eraeum Mydaea and Tyrinthus and all that lay to the sea In Tyrinthus are monuments yet of Praetus his dwelling there Afterward Acrisius hearing how his
grand-childe Perseus was aliue and of great renowne hee retyred to Larissa neare the riuer Peneus Now Perseus was wonderfull desirous to see him and sought all the meanes to honour him that might bee and comming to Larissa to him they mette and Perseus after a while began to practise the casting of the quoyte his owne inuention to shew his strength now Acrisius by chance came vnder the fall of the quoyte and so was brayned according to the Oracle concerning his death Perseus returning to Argos and beeing ashamed of his grandsiers death changed Kingdomes with Megapenthes the sonne of Praetus and then built Mycenas calling it so because his swordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scabberd fell off there which hee tooke for a signe to settle there Yet some say it was named so of Mycenae daughter to Inachus the second and wife to Arestor Homer doth name such a woman b Agamemnon Pelops begotte Atreus and Thyestes on Hippodame and Atreus begotte Agamemnon and Menelaus of Aerope as Homer holdeth But Hesiod saith they were the sonnes of Plisthenes Thyestes sonne vnlesse wee read Thyestes for Plisthenes which is more likely This Agamemnon ledde all the Heroes against Troy Though some say that hee was putte once from the Empire and Palamedes crowned who beeing slayne by the craft of Ulysses the empire returned to Agamemnon c Laurentum The eldest Citty of Latium the seate of the Aborigines where the Kingdome was founded by Saturne called Laurentum of the laurell wood that grew neare it d Picus Saturnes sonne by Fauna Virg. lib. 7. Ouid. Meta. 14. He marryed Cyrce who perceiuing that he loued Pomona turned him into a bird called a Pye wherfore the Latines held that for Mars his bird and it was oraculous Dyonis Alex. Ouid saith hee was thus transformed for refusing the loue of Cyrce but she was not his wife So holds Seruius also l Delborah Hierome readeth it Deborah that is sayth hee a Bee or a Pratler The Tribe of Nephthalim vnder her directions and Baruchs conduct ouerthrew the mighty armie of Sisara Iudg. 4. Ioseph de antiqui lib. 5. Shee ruled the people fourty yeares and hadde peace all the while in Israell f Her prophecy Iud. 5. g From whence In a continuall succession from the Laurentes vnto 〈◊〉 Aenaeas his wife to Syluius Posthumus their sonne and so to the Kings of Alba downe vnto â—…itor Amulius Ilaean Romulus and Remus h King there Wherevpon it was called Saturniâ—…â—…hough â—…hough the ancient poet Eusebius thinke otherwise Read his words in Dion lib. 1. i Uirgil â—…nders words Aeâ—…id 8. k Golden age Of this before It was such as Plato required in his respâ—…blica and that was 〈◊〉 as Adam liued in before his fall so that Eusebius saith that Plato had that place from Moysesâ—…w â—…w l Sterces This they say was Saturne that taught manuring call him what they will Macrob. Saturnal But Pliny saith that Stercutius who was deified for dung-finding was Saturnes sonne But there was a Saturne long before this three hundred yeares before the Troyan warre as Theophilus writeth out of Talus liuing in the time of Belus the Babilonian Alex. Polyhistor called Belus himselfe Saturne which were it so either our times are false accounâ—…d or he was eight hundered yeares before that warre It may bee as hee that wrote the Aequiuoca saith that the 〈◊〉 of euery noble family were called Saturnes and their sonnes Ioues m Manuring Tâ—…ght by Pliny lib. 16. Uarro and other writers of husbandry Cato in Tully wonders that Hâ—… ommiteth it Homer hauing mentioned it before him n A cunning sooth-saier Therefore was hee said to be turned into a pie because hee kept one alwaies for Augâ—…y and thereâ—… Virgill saith he was painted with the Augurs staffe by him Aeneid Ipse Quirinali lituo paruâque sedebat Succinctus trabea He in a sory paule did sit An augurs crosier ioyn'd with it 〈◊〉 Warriour Ouid. Met. 14. and Uirgil calleth him the Horse-breaker which in Greeke is 〈◊〉 â—…ch as Warrior wherefore they feigne him changed into a hardy bird who pearceth an 〈◊〉 â—…ith her bill and is holy vnto Mars The Romans honour it much and affirme that it â—…ed Romulus and Remus from hurt when they were cast out in their infancy p Faunus 〈◊〉 â—…as also called Fatuus and his sister Fauna and Fatua Of these we haue spoken before 〈◊〉 saith that some held Mars to bee his great grand-father and that the Romans worâ—… him as their countries Genius with songs and sacrifices So saith Trogus They say â—…e â—…d Euander and his few Arcadians vpon mount Palatine and his wife Fatua saith Troâ—… was euery day filled with the spirit of prophecy so that it grew a prouerbe to say of proâ—… that they were infatuate Faunus killing her she was deified and named Bona daea and her â—…stity is said to be such as no man lyuing euer saw her but her owne husband Varro from this Faunus come all the fawnes Syluanes and Satires How Diomedes was deified after the destruction of Troy and his fellowes said to bee turned into birdes CHAP. 16. TRoy whose destruction the excellent wits of elder times haue left recorded â—…to all memory as well as the greatnesse of it selfe beeing now destroied in the reigne of a Latinus sonne to Faunus b and from him came the Latine 〈◊〉 the Laurentine ceasing The Grecian victors returning each one to his 〈◊〉 c were sore afflicted on all sides and destroied in great numbers yet some 〈◊〉 them got to bee gods For d Diomedes was made one who neuer returned 〈◊〉 and his fellowes they say e became birdes this now they haue hisâ—… for not poetry onelie yet neither could his new god-head nor his inâ—… of Ioue preuaile so much as to turne his fellowes vnto men againe It 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also that hee hath a Temple f in the I le Diomedea not farre from â—…t Gargarus in Apulia where these birdes continually flie about 〈◊〉 Temple and dwell there with such wonderfull obedience that they will wash the Temple with water which they bring in their beakes and when any Grecian comes thether or any of a Greeke race they are quiet and 〈◊〉 bee gentle with them but if any one else come they will fly at his face wiâ—… great fury and hurt some euen to death for their beakes are very bigge â—…arpe and strong as it is said L VIVES LAtinus a Sonne Sonne to Faunus and Marica Uirg Some say this was Circe and some held her saith Seruius to bee Uenus Hesiod makes him the Sonne of Circes and Vlisses and Uirgil toucheth at that also But the times allow it not therefore wee must affirme with Higinus that there were many Latini Dionytinus saith that Hercules being in Italy begot Pallas of Lauinia Euanders daughter and Lasius of Hyperboride his hostage who at his departure to Greece hee maried to Faunus King of the Aborigines Iustine sayth he was bastard to
The name of God is principally his of whome by whome and in whome al things haue their existence shewing in part the nature and vertue of that incomprehensible Trine Secondly and as one may say abusiuely the Scripture calleth them gods vnto whome the word is giuen as our Sauiour testifieth in the Gospell and so are the Heauenly powers also called as seemeth by that place of the Psalme God standeth in the assembly of the gods c. Thirdly and not abusiuely but falsely the Deuills are called gods also All the gods of the heathen are Deuills Origen in Cantie This last question Augustine taketh from the seauenty for Hierome translateth it from the Hebrew Idols and not Diuells Psa 96. 5. e The Greeke Where wee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor is this superfluously added of Augustine for many Philosophers and many nations both held and honored the Sunne onely for God and referred the power of all the rest vnto it alone Macrob. f All that we do Our well doing benefiteth not God nor betters him so that there is nothing due vnto vs for being good but wee our selues owe God for all by whose grace it is that wee are good g Which worketh by It is dead and lacketh all the power and vigour when it proceedeth not in the workes of charity A definition of a people by which both the Romaines and other kingdomes may challenge themselues common-weales CHAP. 24. BVt omit the former difinition of a people and take this A people is a multitude of reasonable creatures conioyned in a general communication of those things it respecteth and them to discerne the state of the people you must first consider what those things are But what euer they bee where there is a multitude of men conioyned in a common fruition of what they respect there may fitly bee sayd to bee a people the better that their respects are the better are they them-selues and other-wise the worse By this definition Rome had a people and consequently a common-weale what they embraced at the first and what afterwards what goodnesse they changed into bloudinesse what concord they forsooke for seditions confederacies and ciuill warres History can testifie and wee in part haue already related Yet this doth not barre them the name of a people nor their state of the stile of a common-wealth as long as they beare this our last definition vnin-fringed And what I haue sayd of them I may say of the Athenians the Greekes in generall the Egyptians and the Assirian Babilonians were there dominions great or little and so of all nations in the world For in the Citty of the wicked where GOD doth not gouerne and men obey sacrificing vnto him alone and consequently where the soule doth not rule the body nor reason the passions there generally wanteth the vertue of true iustice That there can be no true vertue where true religion wanteth CHAP. 25. FOr though there be a seeming of these things yet if the soule and the reason serue not God as he hath taught them how to serue him they can neuer haue true dominion ouer the body nor ouer the passions for how can that soule haue any true meane of this decorum that knoweth not God nor serueth his greatnesse but runneth a whoring with the vncleane and filthy deuills No those things which shee seemes to account vertues and thereby to sway her affects if they bee not all referred vnto God are indeed rather vices then vertues For although some hold them to bee reall vertues a when they are affected onely for their owne respect and nothing else yet euen so they incurre vaine-glory and so loose their true goodnesse For as it is not of the flesh but aboue the flesh that animates the body So it is not of man but aboue man which deifies the minde of man yea and of all the powers of the heauens L. VIVES WHen a they The Stoikes held vertue to bee her owne price content with it selfe and to bee affected onely for it selfe This is frequent in Seneca and in Tullies Stoicysmes and Plato seemes to confirme it Tully setts downe two things that are to be affected meerely for them-selues perfection of internall goodnesse and that good which is absolutely externall as parents children friends c. These are truly deare vnto vs in them-selues but nothing so as the others are De finib lib. 5. It is a question in diuinity whether the vertues are to bee desired meerely for them-selues Ambrose affirmeth it In Epist. ad Galat. Augustine denieth it De Trinit lib. 13. Peter Lumbard holdes them both to bee worthy of loue in them-selues and also to haue a necessary reference vnto eternall beatitude But indeed they are so bound vnto Gods precepts that hee that putteth not Gods loue in the first place cannot loue them at all Nor can hee so loue them for them-selues that hee preferre them before God their author and their founder or equall the loue of them with the loue of him their nature is to lift the eyes of him that admireth them vnto GOD so that hee that seeketh for them-selues is by them euen ledde and directed vnto him the consummation vnto which they all doe tend But Saint Augustine in this place speaketh of the Gentiles whose vertues desiring externall rewardes were held base and ignominious but if they kept them-selues content with their owne sole fruition then were they approoued but this was the first steppe to arrogance by reason that heereby they that had them thought none so good as them-selues The peace of Gods enemies vse-full to the piety of his friends as long as their earthly pilgrimage lasteth CHAP. 26. WHerefore as the soule is the fleshes life so is God the beatitude of man as the Hebrewes holy writte affirmeth a Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord wretched then are they that are strangers to that GOD and yet 〈◊〉 those a kinde of allowable peace but that they shall not haue for euer because they vsed it not well when they had it But that they should haue it 〈◊〉 this life is for our good also because that during our commixtion with Babilon wee our selues make vse of her peace and faith doth free the people of God at length out of her yet so as in the meane time wee liue as pilgrims in her And therefore the Apostle admonished the Church to pray for the Kings and Potentates of that earthly Citty adding this reason That wee may lead a quiet life in all godlinesse and b charity And the Prophet Hieremy fore-telling the captiuitie of Gods ancient people commanding them from the Lord to goe peaceably and paciently to Babilon aduised them also to pray saying For in her peace shall be your peace meaning that temporall peace which is common both to good and bad L. VIVES BLessed a is Psal. 144. 15. Where the Prophet hauing reckoned vp all the goods of fortune children wealth peace prosperitie and all in
yeares of discretion and is capable of good counsel then must he begin a fierce conflict with vices least it allure 〈◊〉 to damnation Indeede the fresh-water soldiour is the more easily put to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 practise will make him valourous and to persue victory with all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he must euermore assay by a weapoÌ„ called the a loue of true righâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…is is kept in the faith of Christ for if the command be present and the 〈◊〉 absent the very forbidding of the crime enflameth the peruerse flesh to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…er into it sometimes producing open enormities and sometimes b sectes ones farre-worse then the other in that pride and ruinous selfe conceit perswadeâ—… 〈◊〉 that they are vertues Then therfore sin is quelled when it is beaten downe by they loue of God which none but he and that he doth only by Iesus Christ the mediator of God and man who made him-selfe mortall that we might bee made eternall few are so happy to passe their youth without taynt of some damnable sinne or other either in deed opinion or so but let them aboue all seeke to suppresse by the fullnesse of spirit all such euill motions as shall be incited by the loosenesse of the flesh Many hauing betaken them-selues to the law becomming preuaricators thereof through sinne are afterwards faine to fly vnto the law of grace assistant which making them both truer penitents and stouter opponents subiecteth their spirits to God and so they get the conquest of the flesh Hee therefore that will escape hell fire must be both Baptized and iustified in Christ and this is his only way to passe from the Deuill vnto him And let him assuredly beleeue that there is no purgatory paines but before that great and terrible iudgement Indeede it is true that the fire of Hell shal be c more forcible against some then against others according to the diuersity of their deserts whether it be adapted in nature to the quality of their merits or remaine one fire vnto all and yet bee not felt alike of all L. VIVES THe a loue of This made Plato aduise men to vse their children onely to vertuous delights and to induce a hate of bad things into their mindes which were it obserued out loue would then be as much vnto vertue as now it is vnto carnall pleasures for custome is another nature and a good man liketh vertue better then the voluptuary doth sensuality b Secret ones far worse Plato hauing feasted certaine Gentlemen spread the Roome with mats and dressed his banqueting beds handsomely In comes Diogenes the Cynicke and falls presently a trampling of the hangings with his durty feete Plato comming in why how now Diogenes quoth he Nothing said the other but that I tread downe Platoes Pride Thou dost indeed saith Plato but with a pride farre greater for indeed this was a greater vaine-glory and arrogance in Diogenes that was poore then in Plato that was rich and had but prepared these things for his friends So shall you haue a many proud beggers thinke them-selues holyer then honest rich men onely for their name sake as if God respected the goods and not there mindes They will not be ritch because they thinke their pouerty maketh them more admired Diogenes had wont to doe horrible things to make the people obserue him and one day in the midst of winter hee fell a washing himselfe in a cold spring whither by and by there gathred a great multitude who seeing him pittied him and praied him to for-beare O no saith Plato aloud if you will pitty him get yee all gone for he saw it was not vertue but vaine-glory that made him do thus c More forcible According to the words of Christ 〈◊〉 â—…be easier for Tyre and Sydon c. Of some Christians that held that Hells paines should not be eternall CHAP. 17. NOw must I haue a gentle disputation with certaine tender hearts of our own religion who thinke that God who hath iuâ—… doomed the damned vnto 〈◊〉 fire wil after a certaine space which his goodnesse shal thinke fit for the merit of each mans guilt deliuer them from that torment And of this opinion was a Origen in farre more pittiful manner for he held that the diuells themselues after a set time 〈◊〉 should bee loosed from their torments and become bright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…hey were before But this and other of his opinions chiefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…-volution of misery and blisse which hee held that all 〈◊〉 should runne in gaue the church cause to pronounce him Anathema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had lost this seeming pitty by assigning a true misery after a while and 〈◊〉 blisse vnto the Saints in heauen where they if they were true could neuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to â—…aine But farre other-wise iâ—… their tendernesse of heart which â—…old that this freedome out of hell shall onely be extended vnto the soules of the 〈◊〉 after a certaine time appointed for euery one so that all at length shall 〈◊〉 to bee Saints in heauen But if this opinion bee good and true because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the farther it extendeth the better it is so that it may as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedome of the deuills also after a longer continuance of time Wâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it with man kinde onely and excludeth them â—…ay but it dares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they dare not extend their pitty vnto the deuill But if any one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goâ—… beyond them and yet sinneth in erring more deformedly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ly against the expresse word of GOD though hee thinke to shew the more pitty herein L. VIVES ORigen a in Periarch lib. Of this already b Include the freedome So did Origen 〈◊〉 likewise made good Angels become deuills in processe of time according to his imaâ—… circum-â—… Of those that hold that the intercession of the Saints shallsaue all men from damnation CHAP. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with some that seeme to reuerence the Scriptures and yet are no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who would make God farre more mercifull then the other For as 〈◊〉 the wicked they confesse that they deserue to bee plagued but mercy shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand when it comes to iudgement for God shall giue them all 〈◊〉 the prayers and intercession of the Saints who if they prayed for them 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 ouer them as enemies will doe it much more now when they 〈◊〉 prostrate aâ—… their feete like slaues For it is incredible say they that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy when they are most holy and perfect who prayed 〈◊〉 theyr foes when they were not with-out sinne them-selues Surely then they 〈◊〉 pray for them being now become their suppliants when as they haue no 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 left in them And will not God heare them when their prayers haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then bring they forth the testimony of the Psalme which the 〈◊〉 that held the sauing of all the damned after a time doe alledge also but 〈◊〉 that it maketh more for them the words are these Hath God forâ—…
the causes of those arch-heretiques deliuery For an Apostata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the faith hee hath once professed is worse then hee that opâ—…â—…hat hee did neuer professe Secondly in that the Apostle himselfe 〈◊〉 them concluding of the workes of the flesh that They which 〈◊〉 â—…ll 〈◊〉 the Kingdome of GOD. 〈◊〉 therefore and wicked men secure themselues by their continuance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is written He thâ—… endureth to the end hee shal be saued nor by 〈◊〉 â—…quity renounce Christ their iustice in committing fornication and either 〈◊〉 any part of those fleshly workes which the Apostle reâ—… counteth or such vncleanesses as hee would not name for of all such hee â—…aith expressely they shall not inherite the Kingdome of GOD. Wherefore the doers of such deeds cannot but bee in eternall paines in that they are excluded from the euerlasting ioyes For this kinde of perseuerance of theirs is no perseuerance in CHRIST because it is not a true perseuerance in his faith which the Apostle defineth to bee such as worketh by loue And loue as hee sayth elsewhere worketh not euill So then these are no true receiuers of CHRISTS bodie in that they are none of his true members For to omit other allegations they cannot bee both the members of CHRIST and the members of an harlot And CHRIST himselfe saying hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me I in him sheweth what it is to receiue Christ not onely sacramentally but truely for this is to dwell in Christ and Christ in â—…m For thus hee spoke as if hee had sayd Hee that dwelleth not in mee nor I in him cannot say hee eateth my flesh or drinketh my bloud They therefore that are not members of CHRIST are not in him they that make themselues the members of an harlot are no members of CHRIST vnlesse they purge away their badnesse by repentance and returne to his goodnesse by a true reconciliation L. VIVES EXpressed a in this sacrament For all pertake of one bread which is a great bond of 〈◊〉 Againe this mysticall bread is made of many graines of corne loosing their proper formes to bee all incorporated into one masse or body So many are receiued into the church and at thâ—… entrance they put off their owne proper enormities and being linked to the rest 〈◊〉 loue and charity seeme now no more what they were before but are incorporate into one body the church Baptisme maketh vs both bretheren and one also and mutuall charity giueth forme collour taste and perfection to the whole body So that there could not haue bin giuen a more fit type of the Church then that which CHRIST gaue in his institution What it is to haue CHRIST for the foundation who they are that shal be saued as it were by fire CHAP. 26. I But christian Catholiques say they haue CHRIST for their foundation from whom they fell not though they built badly vpon it in resemblance of timber straw and stubble So that faith is true which holds CHRIST the foundation and though it beare some losse in that the things which are built vpon it burne away yet hath it power to saue him that holdeth it after some time of suffrance But let Saint Iames answere these men in a word If a man say hee â—…th faith and haue no workes can the faith saue him Who then is that say they of whom Saint Paul sayth Hee shal be safe himselfe neuerthelesse as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well wee will see who that is but surely it is no such as these would haue 〈◊〉 for else the Apostles condradict one another For if one saith though a man haue liued wickedly yet shall hee bee saued by faith through fire and the other If hee haue no workes can his fayth saue him Then shall we soone find who it is that shal be saued by fire if first of all wee finde what it is to haue Christ for the foundation Togather which first from the nature of the simyly there is no worke in building before the fâ—…dation Now euery one hath CHRIST in his heart thus farre that 〈◊〉 â—…ct of temporall things and some-times of things vnlawfull still â—…eth Christ for the foundation thereof But if hee preferre these things 〈◊〉 CHRIST though hee seeme to hold his fayth yet CHRIST is no foundation vnto him in that hee preferres those vanities before him And if â—…ee both contemne good instructions and prosecute badde actions how much the sooner shall hee bee conuinced to set Christ at nothing to esteeme him at no value in vainer respects by neglicting his command and allowance and in preuarication of both following his owne lustfull exorbitances wherefore if any christian loue an hâ—…r lot and become one body with her by coupling with her hee hath not Christ fâ—… his foundation And if a man loue his wife according to Christ who can denie but that hee hath Christ for his foundation Admit his loue bee 〈◊〉 worldly concupiscentiall as the Gentiles loued that knew not Christ all this the Apostle doth beare with and therefore still may Christ bee such a mans foundation For if hee preferre not these carnall affects before Christ though hee build straw and stubble vpon his foundation yet Christ is that still and therefore such a man shal be saued by fire For the fire of tribulation shall purge away those carnall and worldly affections which the bond of marriage doth acquit from beeing damnable and vnto this fire all the calamities accident in this kinde as barrennesse losse of children c. haue reference And in this case hee that buildeth thus shall loose because his building shall not last and these losses shall grieue him in that their fruition did delight him Yet shall the worth of his foundation saue him in that if the persecuâ—… should put it to his choice whether hee would haue Christ or these his 〈◊〉 hee would choose Christ and leaue all the rest Now shall you heare 〈◊〉 describe a builder vpon this foundation with gold siluer and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vnmaried saith hee careth for the things of the LORD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD And now for him that buildeth with wood straw and 〈◊〉 Hee that is married caretb for the things of the world how hee may please his wife Euery mans worke shal bee made manifest for the day of the LORD shall declare it that is the daie of tribulation for it shal be reuealed by the fire This tribulation hee calleth fire as wee reade also in another place The furâ—… proueth the potters vessell and so doth the temptation of tribulation trie mans thoughts So then the fire shall trie euery mans worke and if any worke 〈◊〉 as his will that careth for the things of the LORD and how to â—…ase him hee shall receiue wages that is hee shall receiue him of whome 〈◊〉 thought and for whome hee cared But if any 〈◊〉 worke burne hee shall 〈◊〉 because hee shall not haue his
delights that hee loued yet shall hee bee 〈◊〉 in that hee held his foundation maugre all tribulation but as it were by 〈◊〉 for that which hee possessed in alluring loue hee shall forge with 〈◊〉 sorrowe This thinke I is the fire that shall enritch the one and â—…ge the other trying both yet condemning neither If wee say thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of heere is that whereof CHRIST spake to those on his left 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire and that all such 〈◊〉 builded 〈◊〉 strawe and stubble vpon their foundation are part of the sayd cursed who notwithstanding after a time of torment are to bee dedeliuered by the merit of their foundation then can wee not thinke that those on the right hand to whome hee shall say Come you blessed c. Are any other sauing those that built gold siluer and precious stones vppon the said foundation But this fire of which the Apostle speaketh shall bee as a tryall both to the good and the bad both shall passe through it for the word sayth Euery mans worke shal bee made manifest for the day of the Lord shall declare it because it shal bee reuealed by the fyre and the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is If the fire trye both and he that hath an abiding worke be rewarded and hee whose worke shal burne shall bee indamaged then cannot this be that euerlasting fire For into that shall none enter but the cursed on the left hand in the last iudgement whereas the blessed shall passe through this wherein some of them shal be so tryed that their building shall abide vnconsumed and other-some shall haue their worke burned and yet shal bee saued them-selues in that their loue vnto Christ exceeded al their carnall imperfections And if they bee saued then shall they stand on Christes right hand and shall bee part of those to whome it shall bee said Come you blessed of my father inherite the kingdome c. and not on the left hand amongst the cursed to whome it shall bee sayd Depart from me c. For none of these shall be saued by fire but all of them shall be bound for euer in that place where the worme neuer dyeth there shall they burne world without end But as for the time betweene the bodily death and the last iudgement if any one say that the spirits of the dead are all that while tryed in such fire as neuer moueth those that haue not built wood straw or stubble afflicting onely such as haue wrought such workes eyther here or there or both or that mans worldly affects beeing veniall shall â—…e the purging fire of tribulation onely in this world and not in the other if any hold thus I contradict him not perhaps he may hold the truth To this tribuâ—… also may belong the death of body drawne from our first parents sinne and inflicted vppon each man sooner or later according to his building So may also the Churches persecutions wherein the Martyrs were crowned and all the rest afflicted For these calamities like fire tryed both sorts of the buildings consuming both workes and worke men where they found not Christe for the foundation and consuming the workes onely and sauing the worke-men by this losse where they did finde him and stubble c. built vppon him but where they found workes remayning to eternall life there they consumed nothing at all Now in the last dayes in the time of Antichriste shall be such a persecution as neuer was before And many buildings both of gold and stubble being all founded vppon Christe shall then bee tryed by this fire which will returne ioy to some and losse to others and yet destroy none of them by reason of their firme foundation But whosoeuer hee bee that loueth I do not say his wife with carnall affection but euen such shewes of pyety as are vtter alliens from this sensuality with such a blinde desire that hee preferreth them before Christ this man hath not Christ for his foundation and therefore shall neither bee saued by 〈◊〉 noâ—… otherwise because hee cannot bee conioyned with Christ who faith playnely of such men Hee that loueth father or mother more then me is vnworthy of me And he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of mee But hee that loueth them carnaliy yet preferreth Christ for his foundation and had rather loose them all then Christ if hee were driuen to the losse of one such a man shall bee saued but as it were by fire that is his griefe in the loosing of them must needes bee as great as his delight was in enioying them But hee that loues father mother c. according to Christ to bring them vnto his Kingdome or bee delighted in thâ—… because they are the members of Christ this loue shall neuer burne away liâ—…â—…ood straw stubble but shall stand as a building of gold siluer and preâ—… 〈◊〉 for how can a man loue that more then Christ which he loueth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sake onely L. VIVES 〈◊〉 day of a the Lord Where-vnto all secrets are referred to be reuealed and therefore they are worthy of reprehension that dare presume to censure acts that are doubtfull 〈◊〉 â—…rable onely by coniectures seeme they neuer so bad 〈◊〉 thâ—…se that thinke those sinnes shall not be laid to their 〈◊〉 where-with they mixed some workes of mercy CHAP. 27. NOw a word with those that hold none damned but such as neglect to doe workes of mercy worthy of their sinnes because S. Iames saith There shall be 〈◊〉 mercylesse to him that sheweth no mercy he therfore that doth shew merâ—… say they be his life neuer so burdened with sin and corruption shal not withstanding haue a mercyful iudgement which wil either acquit him from al paines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deliâ—… 〈◊〉 after a time of sufferance And this made Christ distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…om 〈◊〉 â—…obate only by their performance and not performance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one wherof is rewarded with euerlasting ioy and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for their daily sins that they may bâ—… pardoned through 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 the Lords praier say they doth sufficiently proue for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 christian â—…aith not this praier so likewise is ther no daily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we say And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we perform this later clause accordingly for Christ saie they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father will forgiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he said generally hee will forgiue you yours Bee they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 neuer so ordinary neuer so continual yet works of mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them al away wel they do wel in giuing their aduice to perform works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of their â—…ns for if they should haue said that any works of mercâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the greatest and most customary sins they should bee 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so â—…ight the richest man for his a ten â—…ence a day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for al his fornications homicides and other sins whatsoâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond comparison to affirm this then questionles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works are that are worthy of pardon for sin and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spake saying Bring forth therfore fruits worthy of amendmeÌ„t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that such as 〈◊〉 their owne soules by continuall sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meant of in this place first because they do take vioâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thâ—…n they bestow charitably on the poore and yet in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…eed Christ b and 〈◊〉 liberâ—…y of sinning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon their damnation 〈◊〉 if they should giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto the poore members of Christ to redeem one only 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euil did 〈◊〉 â—…straine them from any more such 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 â—…by 〈◊〉 good at all he therfore that will cleare his sins by his works must begin first at him-self for it is vnfit to do that to our neighbour which we wil not do to our selfe Christ himselfe saying thou shalt loue neighbour as thy selfe and againe Loue thine owne soule if thou wilt please God he therefore that doth not this worke of mercy that is the pleasing of God to his owne soule how can hee bee said to do workes of mercy sufficient to redeeme his sinnes for it is written Hee that is wicked to him-selfe to whome will hee bee good for almesdeedes do lift vp the prayers of men to God What saith the Scriptures My sonne hast thou sinned do so no more but pray for thy sinnes past that they may bee forgiuen thee for this cause therefore must wee do almesdeeds that when we pray our prayer may bee heard that wee may leaue our former vices and obtayne refreshment for our selues by those workes of mercy Now Christ saith that hee will impute the doing and omission of almesdeeds vnto those of the iudgement to shew how powerfull they are to expiate offences past not to protect the continuers in sinne for those that will not abiure the courses of impiety cannot bee sayd to performe any workes of mercy And these words of Christ In as much as you did it not vnto one of these you did it not vnto me imply that they did no such workes as they imagined for if they gaue bread vnto the hungred Christian as if it were vnto Christ him-selfe for GOD careth not to whome you giue but with what intent you giue Hee therefore that loueth Christ in his members giueth almes with intent to ioyne him-selfe to Christ not that hee may haue leaue to leaue him without being punished for the more one loueth what Christ reproueth the farther of doth he depart from Christ for what profiteth Baptisme vnlesse iustification follow it doth not hee that sayd Vnlesse a man bee borne againe of water and of the spirit hee shall not enter into the Kingdome of GOD say also vnlesse your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen why do men runne to Baptisme for feare of the first and do not draw neare to righteousnesse for feare of the later Therefore as hee that checketh his brothers sinne in charity by telling him hee is a foole notwithstanding all this is not guilty of Hell fire so on the other side hee that loueth not Christ in his members giueth no almes to a Christian as vnto a Christian though he stretch forth his hand vnto one of Christs poore members and hee that refuâ—…eth to bee iustified in Christ doth not loue Christ in any respect But if one call his brother foole in reprochfull contempt rather then with intent to reforme his imperfection all the almesdeeds this man can do will neuer benefit him vnlesse hee bee reconciled to him whome he hath iniured for it followeth in the same place If then thou bringest thy guift vnto the altar and tâ—…re remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring and go thy way first be reconcyled to thy brother and then come and offer thy guift So that it is nothing worth to do workes of mercy to expiate any sinne and yet to continue in the sinne still As for the Lords prayer it doth indeed blot out our dayly sinnes it being dayly said And forgiue vs our trespasses if withall the following clause bee not onely said but performed also As wee forgiue them that â—…respasse against vs. But indeed wee say this prayer because wee do sinne not that wee might 〈◊〉 for Our 〈◊〉 sheweth vs in this that liue wee neuer so carefull of shunning corruption yet do wee euery day fall intâ—… some sinnes for the remission of which we ought both to pray and to pardon such aâ—… haue offended vs that wee may be pardoned our selues Wherefore Christ saith not this If yee forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father wil also forgiue you yours to giue hope to any man to perseuer in daily crimes whether we be borne out by authority or commit them by sleight and suttlety but to instruct vs that we are not without sinne though wee may bee without crime as God aduised the priests in the Old-Testament first to offer for their owne sinnes and then for the peoples Let vs marke these words of our great Lord and maister with attention and diligence He doth not say your heauenly father will forgiue you any sinne whatsoeuer but he will forgiue you yours for in this place he taught his disciples being already iustified their daily prayer what meaneth he then by this same yours but such sinnes as the righteous themselues cannot be without wherefore whereas they that would hereby take occasion to continue in sin affirme that Christ meant the greatest sins because he said not your smaller sinnes but your in generall wee on the contrary side considering vnto whome he spake do vnderstand his words to concerne small sinnes onely in that they to whome they were spoken were now cleared of their greater Nor are those great sinnes indeed which euery one ought to reforme him-selfe and avoyde euer forgiuen vnlesse the guilty do fulfill the foresaid clause As we forgiue them that trespasse against vs for if the least sinnes wherevnto the righteous them-selues are prone cannot bee remitted but vpon that condition then muchlesse shall the great and Criminous ones haue this pardon though they that vsed them do cease ther further practise if they continue inexorable in forgiuing such as haue offended them for the Lord saith If yee do not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your Heauenly father forgiue you your trespasses And Saint Iames his words are to the same purpose there shal be iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy Remember but the seruant whome his maister pardoned of a debt of 10000.
the beleefe that CHRIST is GOD made his Citty to loue him So that euen as Rome hadde an obiect for hir loue which shee was ready to honour with a false beleefe So the Citie of GOD hath an obiect for her sayth which shee is euer ready to honour with a true and rightly grounded loue For as touching Christ besides those many miracles the holy Prophets also did teach him to be God long before his comming which as the fathers beleeued should come to passe so that we do now see that they are come to passe But as touching Romulus wee read that hee built Rome and raigned in it not that this was prophecyed before but as for his deifying their bookes affirme that it was beleeued but they shew not how it was effected for there were no miracles to proue it The shee Wolfe that fedde the two brethren with her milke which is held so miraculous what doth this prooue as concerning his deity If this shee Wolfe were not a strumpet but a brute beast yet the accident concerning both the bretheren alike why was not d Remus deified for company And who is there that if hee bee forbidden vppon paine of death to say that Hercules Romulus or such are deities had rather loofe his life then leaue to affirme it What nation would worship Romulus as a God if it were not for feare of Rome But on the other side who is hee that can number those that haue suffered death willingly in what forme of cruelty soeuer rather then deny the deity of Christ A light and little feare of the Romaine power compelled diuers inferior citties to honour Romulus as a god but neither feare of power torment nor death could hinder an infinite multitude of Martyrs all the world through both to beleeue and professe that Christ was God Nor did his Citty though shee were as then a pilgrime vppon earth and had huge multitudes within her euer go about to e defend her temporall estate against her persecutors by force but neglected that to gaine her place in eternity Her people were bound imprisoned beaten rackt burnt torne butchered and yet multiplyed Their fight for life was the contempt of life for their Sauiour Tully in his 3 De rep Or I am deceiued argueth that a iust Citty neuer should take armes but either for her safety or faith What he meanes by safety be sheweth else-where From those paines saith hee which the fondest may feele as pouerty banishment stripes imprisonment or so do priuate men escape by the ready dispatch of death But this death which seemeth to free priuate men from paines is paine it selfe vnto a citty For the aime of a citties continuance should bee eternity Death therfore is not so naturall to a common wealth as to a priuate man hee may often times bee driuen to wish for it but when a citty is destroyed the whole world seemes in a manner to perish with it Thus saith Tully holding the worlds eternity with the Platonists So then hee would haue a citty to take armes for her safety that is for her continuance for euer here vppon earth although her members perish and renew successiuely as the leaues of the Oliue and lawrell trees and such like as they are for death saith hee may free priuate men from misery but it is misery it selfe vnto a common-wealth And therefore it is a questioÌ„ whether the Saguntines did well in choosing the destruction of their citty before the breach of faith with the common-wealth of Rome an act which all the world commendeth But I cannot see how they could possibly keepe this rule that a Citty should not take armes but eyther for her faith or safety For when these two are ioyntly endangered that one cannot bee saued without the others losse one cannot determine which should bee chosen If the Saguntines had chosen to preserue their safety they had broken their faith If their faith then should they lose their safety as indeed they did But the safety of the Cittie of GOD is such that it is preserued or rather purchased by faith and fayth beeing once lost the safetie cannot possibly but perish also This cogitation with a firme and patient resolution crowned so many Martyrs for Christ when as Romulus neuer had so much as one man that would die in defence of his deity L VIVES VVIthin this a 600. yeares Tully speaketh not this of his owne times but in the person of Scipio Africanus the yonger and Laelius which Scipio liued about 602. yeares after the building of Rome which was not 600. yeares after the death of Romulus b More common For in those times liued Orpheus Musaeus Linus Philamnon Thamyris Orius 〈◊〉 Aristheas Proconnesius Pronetidas of Athens Euculus of Cyprus Phenius of Ithaca Hoâ—…r c. c Otherwise That is in saying he was but a man wheras the Romanes held him for a God Iames Passauant playeth the foole rarely in this place but it is not worth relating d Why was 〈◊〉 Remus Hee had a little Temple vppon Auentiâ—…e but it was an obscure one and rather like an Heroes temple then a gods e To defend She might haue repulsed iniuries by force and awed her aduersaries by power but shee deemed it fitter for such as professed the Ghospell of Christ to suffer then to offer to die then to kill to loose their body rather then the soule That the beleefe of Christes Deity was wrought by Gods power not mans perswasion CHAP. 7. BVt it is absurd to make any mention of the false Deity of Romulus when wee speake of Christ. But if the age of Romulus almost 600. yeares before Scipio were so stored with men of vnderstanding that no impossibility could enter their beleefe how much more wise were they 600. yeares after in Tulliestime in Tiberius his and in the daies of CHRISTS comming So that his resurrection and ascension would haue beene reiected as fictions and impossibilities if either the power of God or the multitude of miracles had not perswaded the contrary teaching that it was now shewne in Christ and hereafter to be shewne in all men besides and auerring it strongly against all horrid persecutions throughout the whole world through which the blood of the Martyrs made it spread and flourish They read the Prophets obserued a concordance and a concurrence of all those miracles the truth confirmed the noueltie beeing not contrary to reason so that at the last the World imbraced and professed that which before it had hated and persecuted Of the miracles which hath beene and are as yet wrought to procure and confirme the worlds beleefe in Christ-CHAP 8. BVt how commeth it say they that you haue no such miracles now adaies as you say were done of yore I might answer that they were necessary before the world beleeued to induce it to beleeue and he that seeketh to bee confirmed by wonders now is to bee wondred at most of al him-selfe in refusing to beleeâ—… what al the